Strength and Survival
by Kretari - daughter of Hermes
Summary: Lovino Vargas, foul tempered elder twin brother of Feliciano Vargas, was definitely not popular at school. Hell, he had stooped low enough to be friends with a 'Prussian'. What happens to the 'normal' that Lovino's gotten used to when a happy-go-lucky spaniard shows up one day? Will things get better for Lovi?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Man, it's been a while. Sorry, guys. I lost track of things. I've been working on an art assignment for like forever. I've put so much energy in that that I've not written. Weak excuse, I know. Pardon that.**

**On another note: I have also been making sure I can participate in the Day of Silence this year (it's April 19th, by the way!) and working on plans for getting a GSA or something similar started at my school. Which is hard work, considering I'm stuck in the middle of the 'Bible Belt' and in some homophobic as fuck small town high school.**

**Anyway, here's the new story. I will have a new chapter to All The Small Things up soon.**

**Another Spamano! Again. I swear, I need to venture from that for a change. But it won't be the same as my others, I promise!**

**There will be other pairings, but if you want to see a certain one, let me know and I'll try to make sure it makes it into the story.**

**Anywho. I've rambled enough. Enjoy!**

_Why can't this be over already?_ Lovino thought. He hated this. It was the first day of school, and as of right now, it was also his lunch period. He was content to sit alone. But no, some bastard had to sit down with their friends and bug the living hell out of him.

He was getting ready to snap. But he held it in. Feliciano was always telling him to take a breath, count to ten and calm down. So he gave it a try. No good. It was a bust.

He didn't say a word, instead, he got up and took his half-empty tray to dump it before he fled to the library where hopefully he would get some quiet.

Also no good. Mostly because one of the rare jocks who braved the stacks of books caught sight of him and started in. Only a sophmore, Lovino had already gotten used to it. He'd been bullied since his stupid ass twin brother outed both of them. But nobody ever fucked with Feliciano. Only Lovino. Maybe it was because the younger of the twins was more lively and kind, but whatever it was, Lovino didn't have it.

Normally the words thrown didn't bother him. Apparently, the jock knew this because he took it to a new level of low.

Instead of the normal spewed words, it was a harsh shove against one of the shelves, making it tumble over and cause a mess. That didn't phase Lovino much either. It was what that the jock, when Lovino got up and straightened himself, pulled the small italian away from the mess and managed to corner him.

"Listen to me,"

Lovino didn't recognise the voice, and at the position he was being held in, he couldn't see who it was. _Damn it, let go, fucking bastard, _he thought. But he said nothing, because he didn't want to make things any worse on himself than they already were.

By the time he managed to reach his English class, Lovino was definitely not in a good mood.

He didn't speak for the rest of the day, trying to avoid more trouble.

Still, since Feliciano had gotten a ride with the potato bastard and convienently forgotten about Lovino, the elder of the brothers was stuck walking home alone.

He thought nothing of it until he got halfway home only to have his arm caught.

"What the fuck is your problem!"Lovino snapped before looking back to see it was one of the jocks from school. Oops.

Needless to say, by the time that Lovino got home, he was most definitely black and blue. Damn. How was he suppoed to explain that to his grandfather and brother?

But neither of them asked about the bruises. Thankfully. Or maybe not thankfully. Depends on how you view it.

Still, it let him escape to his room to spend some alone time that day.

The following morning at school, Lovino got pulled aside suddenly, causing him to yelp from the sudden pressure on his already bruised back.

"Whoa, hey, not tryin' to hurt ya."

That voice. He knew that voice. He scowled and turned. "Gilbert! Damn it, some warning would be nice next time. Dear god,"

Gilbert tilted his head. "Again?"he asked. "How bad this time?"

Lovino shrugged. "A few bruises. It could've been worse,"he admitted.

Gilbert nodded and let it drop, knowing the already moody italian didn't want to talk about it. "Francis and me were just wondering if you've met the new kid yet."

"New kid?"Lovino asked. "The happy-go-lucky spaniard?"

Gilbert nodded again.

Lovino shrugged. "He's in my history class. Why?"

Gilbert grinned. "Because,"he said. No reasons. Lovino definitely didn't like where that was going.

Even with the surprising start that morning, the day was decent, he supposed. At least, it could have been worse.

**And, that, my friends is my poor ass attempt at a first chapter for this thing. Can you tell I had no idea what I was doing?**

**Anyways, feedback is appreciated if you want.**

**If you wanna see a certain pairing, then let me know. If you wanna see anything particular here, then let me know.**

**I'll do my best to have a new chapter up soon, I promise!**

**Adios!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: So, I'm very glad that people like this. I will honestly say I wasn't sure if people would like it.**

**To the people that reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I love your username, by the way. Seriously. It's awesome. Anyway, yeah, I hated writing that, but it's important for what I'm going to do with this. I promise that he will get paid back for hurting Lovi, though. Cause honestly, who'd want to hurt Lovi?**

**GothicKitty1313: I'm glad you like the idea of Francis and Gilbert being friends with Lovi! I've yet to read another story with something like that, admittedly, but I'm still searching. I thought, you know, they aren't so different really. Lovi's just more standoffish than them, they're at the same level of crazy and everything!**

**brided: Thanks. And the 'invisible' thing with Lovi actually stems from partially the show, partially a cosplay that I did with my friends at school a few days back - we do have a Lovi, and we did a HS!AU, and that's where this is coming from. Just, with a Spain this time. I'm glad you liked the beginning.**

**Anyway, here's chapter two my friends! And a heads up, if there's any phrases in here from other languages, and they aren't German or select phrases from French or Italian (French: terms of enderment, Italian: curses and brother), then I used Google Translate for them, so they are more than likely off. Sorry.**

**Enjoy!**

By lunch that day, Lovino's day had gone down the drain. It had been pretty good - no run ins with any jocks. And then, going to lunch, some idiot decided to shove into him and make the bruising worse.

When he entered and sat down with his lunch at the table with Gilbert, Francis and, surprisingly, Antonio, Gilbert frowned deeply. "What's the matter, Lovi?"

"Do not call me Lovi."Lovino snapped at the 'Prussian' across from him.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow, taking in the tenseness of Lovino's form. "You should relax. It's not good for you to be tense all the time."

Lovino got what he was saying. Antonio and Francis did not. Even so, the italian flipped the Prussian off and went about eating his lunch.

Gilbert made no move to try to draw Lovino out of his thoughts and into a conversation while he was eating, knowing that he'd already had a good day turned bad.

And then Feliciano shouted across the room. "Lovino!"

Lovino jumped, cursing as he turned to look at his brother as the more excitable of the twins hurried over. "Lovi! Are you okay! Ludwig told me - ."

Lovino cut him off. "I do not give a damn what that potato bastard told you. Let it go,"he warned. "We will talk at home. And you aren't to tell nonno anything I tell you, got it?"

Feliciano frowned, wide eyes full of tears. "I..I just.."

"I know."Lovino said. "Go back to your lunch. I'll talk to you later, Feli."

Feliciano gave his brother a quick hug and disappeared, leaving Lovino more tense than before, jaw locked in pain from tensing so suddenly.

Gilbert sighed. "Lovi, you're too tense. Relax or I'm going to get West to help me make you relax."

Lovino's eyes flashed to Gilbert. "You wouldn't.."

Francis chuckled at this. "Of course he will, mon ami."

Lovino sighed. "Fine, fine. I'll relax."

Antonio watched curiously at this interaction. When Lovino saw him watching, he snapped at him. "What are you staring at, damn it?"

Antonio looked away, raising his hands in 'surrender'.

Gilbert scowled. "Lovino Romano Vargas, calm your ass down! 'Toni's just worried, like us."

Lovino sighed and laid his head down. "Can't I just go home?"

"No."

That no haunted Gilbert and Francis the rest of the day. They should have let their little italian friend go home. They really should've let him go home. In fact, later, when they caught up with Lovino after school, it was to find Feliciano and Ludwig standing with him. The younger italian was fussing worriedly over his older brother.

"...are you certain you're okay, Lovino?"Ludwig asked calmly.

Lovino sighed, again. It seemed to be becoming a habit. "Yes, damn it, I'm just fine. I just need a minute,"

Gilbert frowned. "What's happened?"

Lovino looked back at him before shrugging. "Same old, same old. You know how people are,"

"We have got to figure out what we're going to do to keep you from getting killed one of these days, Lovi."he said.

This set Feliciano off. The younger started bawling. Lovino panicked, getting up and drawing his brother to him in a hug. "Hey, hey, whoa, calm down."he said softly. "It's okay. It's alright. He's just messing around, he didn't mean it."

Once Feliciano was calm, Lovino let go and backed off again.

Gilbert gave a soft smile. It wasn't often that Lovino did that. Still he felt bad for causing the younger boy to cry like that.

Another sigh. This was definitely going to be one hell of an evening, Lovnio thought.

**Hope you liked it! Let me know if you wanna see a certain pairing or something!**

**Ciao!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hola! So, new chapter. I apologize if it seems scattered, I'm being rushed today with my writing, and I've started this before school, so I probably won't finish it with how I type.**

**Anyway, to those of you who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Lovi is perfect! A bit moody, but perfect! **

**Mona Lisa's Balled: Toni is being quiet.. but then, he **_**is**_** new at the school. Most new students don't get to speaking a lot until they get how the school functions or finds a group that they know aren't going to diss them for being who they are. He'll be talking more soon, I promise!**

**And now, on with the chapter. **

**Enjoy!**

Lovino was really regretting telling Feliciano what had happened. Feli hadn't stopped freaking out yet. Ludwig was still with them, so he was working on getting the younger of the brothers to calm down. Lovino gave him a rare, thankful smile before he went back to his thoughts.

The next time he was pulled from his thoughts, it was due to the phone ringing.

He got up and went to answer it, managing to bang his knee on one of the chairs to get to it. He frowned at that, but didn't bother with it.

As soon as he answered, he rolled his eyes. "Hi, Gilbert."he snapped.

A moment's silence before Lovino looked at Ludwig. "Would you mind too much if I killed him?"he asked of the German.

Ludwig gave a slight smile at that, but let Lovino go on with the phone call.

Even so, Lovino hung up not long after that.

About ten minutes later, Gilbert entered, dragging Francis and Antonio with him. "Lovi!"he greeted.

Lovino glowered at Gilbert as he collapsed on a sofa.

Francis rolled his eyes. "Sorry about him, mon ami. He was going off the wall worrying,"he said.

Lovino huffed and nodded in understanding. "I don't see why."

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Because, I've seen the result of those douches,"

Lovino glared at Gilbert, effectively shutting him up.

Ludwig, however, spoke then. "Wait, this is normal for you?"he asked the moody italian.

Feliciano looked at his brother. "Lovi..?"

"No,"Lovino lied, trying to set his brother at ease.

Gilbert shot Lovino a look for the lie, but said nothing, knowing he was doing it to help his brother feel more at ease.

Antonio decided to speak up then. "Why are people so cruel to you?"

Lovino looked at the spaniard to see him looking at him curiously. He shrugged. "It's.."

When Lovino didn't finish, Francis spoke up. "Their first week at the school in Freshman year, Feli outed the both of them. Feli's really happy and loved, but Lovi had a bit of a short temper, putting him at odds with almost everyone in the school."

Antonio frowned. "So, they do it because of the temper or.."  
Gilbert rolled his eyes. "More than likely because they're a bunch of homophobes. It doesn't matter. I have an idea, and I'm not going to let it fail."

Lovino groaned at that. Gilbert's ideas weren't always the best.

Gilbert pouted when he heard. "Lovi! I'm trying to help you!"he said.

"I don't need your damn help, idiota!"

Feliciano rolled his eyes. "I'll talk to people about keeping an eye out. Maybe we can get Arthur and Matthew involved, maybe not Alfred, but it's a start,"

Lovino glared at his brother. "Fuck no."he snapped.

Feliciano pouted, so Lovino backed off and let him go.

The following morning, when Lovino got into school, he was immediately pulled aside.

He let out a hiss and a curse before he caught sight of Francis, who pulled the moody italian over to where Gilbert, Antonio, Ludwig and Feliciano were already standing. "What the fuck, guys!"he snapped. "Some warning would've been freaking nice,"

Francis frowned. "Sorry,"he said, not sounding sorry in the slightest. "We're just trying to keep you out of trouble this morning."

"Like that'll last long?"Lovino asked, rubbing his wrist gently with a scowl.

And sure enough, that really didn't last longer than second hour. In fact, it didn't work in the slightest.

When Lovino didn't show up for lunch, Antonio went to see if he could find him. Gilbert and Francis were worried but were also being fussed at by Ludwig at that time.

Antonio didn't return until close to the end of the lunch hour. "Hola, mi amigos,"he said, but his normally cheery sounding voice was lacking. "Found Lovi,"

Gilbert looked to Antonio. "Where is he?"he asked.

Antonio didn't answer, but Gilbert sighed. "And he's back in the nurse's office,"he grumbled, getting up and grabbing his things, heading to the nurse's office to sit until Lovino woke up. It was habit. He always did.

At the end of the day, Lovino met up with the others, Gilbert helping keep him fully steady while they were walking due to the limp the italian now had.

Feliciano frowned at his brother, but said nothing.

Francis, however, exclaimed, "Mon ami! Are you alright?" as soon as the two stopped.

Lovino glowered at Francis. "Do I look like I'm alright, you damn bastard?"he snapped.

Francis held his hands up in surrender.

Feliciano spoke then. "Lovi, we have to tell nonno,"

"No,"Lovino responded immediately. "No, we aren't telling nonno. Anything."

Feliciano's frown deepened. "You're limping, fratello. You don't have much of a choice of if he finds out or not,"

Lovino raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet? Gil, let go."he said.

Gilbert, who'd been holding onto Lovino's shoulder, released the italian, who immediately started walking. The limp was prominent at first, but eventually was hard to notice.

Ludwig spoke. "The fact that you're so used to it that you can hide a limp is astounding,"he commented. "And not in a good way,"

"Good to know, potato-bastard."Lovino replied.

Even so, Feliciano and Lovino's grandfather didn't find out that evening. No matter what Feliciano wanted.

**AN: I feel so bad for hurting Lovi again! I'm so sorry guys! Anyway, here you go. The new chapter.**

**Translations for those of you who don't know:**

**Mon ami: my friend. (French)**

**idiota: idiot (italian)**

**Hola, mi amigos: Hello, my friends (Spanish)**

**fratello: brother (italian)**

**Want to see any other pairings here? Let me know!**

**Anyway, Adios! See ya next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Bonjour! Here's another chapter for you guys!**

**Also: other pairings suggested, and thought about, so far: USUK and PruCan.**

**I actually adore those pairings. Not really wrote anything for PruCan before, but I can try!**

**Response to reviewers:**

**Spamano4ever: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I promise things will get better for Lovi sometime soon! I promise!**

**GothicKitty1313: I know! But I promise, it'll get easier on him soon! After all, Toni isn't going to let him suffer long! Of course not!**

**Anyway, here ya are.**

The following morning, Lovino walked over to stand with Gilbert, Francis and Antonio. Feliciano came over not long after, Ludwig with him. What got Lovino's attention was the two other blonds that joined them. Matthew and Arthur, he knew.

Antonio grinned at them brightly.

Matthew looked at Lovino. "Feliciano told us what happened,"

Lovino gave his brother a look. "Feli. I told you to stay out of it last night,"he said with a frown. "I don't want you to get hurt,"

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Since when do any of us listen?"

Lovino gave that one to him. It was true. None of them listened. Ever.

That morning ended up being one of the most bareable yet.

People were still crude to Lovino, but less people threw comments if he was with someone else.

Antonio walked with Lovino from his class to the cafeteria, chattering happily. "..but I told Gil that I'd invite everyone over to hang out this weekend. You'll come by right?"

Lovino shrugged. "I suppose,"he murmured.

Antonio grinned. "Gracias!"he said brightly.

Gilbert grinned at the two when they took a seat at the table with the others. "Hallo, guys!"he greeted. "Good day so far?"

"Not that bad, actually."Lovino commented.

Compared to most days, that was definitely a good thing.

Antonio shrugged, but was still grinning. He spoke to Gilbert. "Lovi said he'd come by. What about you?"

Gilbert nodded that he'd go and then smirked at Lovino. "Well, well, is Lovi being nice, finally?"

Lovino turned a bright red, making Antonio's eyes go wide. "Aw! Lovi, you look like a tomato!"

Lovino huffed and glared at the spaniard.

Feliciano and Ludwig sat down then. "Lovi, you're blushing."he pointed out brightly.  
Lovino hid his face then. He was beginning to think he needed to hang out with new people.

Gilbert laughed. "Aw, c'mon, Lovi. It's all in good nature."

"Fuck you,"Lovino spat.

Gilbert smiled. "Sorry, Lovino. You aren't my type."he joked, making Lovino throw some of his home-brought lunch at him.

"Pervert! I didn't mean it like that!" But Lovino started laughing along with Gilbert anyways. This was normal. Besides, for once, he was in a pretty good mood - that being portrayed by the way his curl was laying.

Francis looked up at Lovino before he bit back a grin. "Lovino, your curl."he said softly.

Lovino blinked in surprise, almost raising a hand to the stray curl but keeping himself from doing that. "What about it?"he asked cautiously.

Gilbert saved Francis the trouble of explaining by getting his phone out and snapping a quick picture of the elder italian before passing his phone over to him.

Lovino scowled at the phone, but picked it up and glanced at the picture. He handed the phone back, his eyes showing his shock. "That's never happened before."he commented.

Gilbert shook his head. "Nope. Feli's is almost always in a heart-type shape. Yours is always crumpled looking. It's odd, seeing your curl be different."

Antonio only barely followed this conversation, but was looking at the curl while Lovino was talking with Gilbert. He frowned slightly, reaching out and flicking the curl curiously.

Lovino jumped, turning a dark shade of red. "Chigi!"he said in surprise. "What the hell are you doing?"

Feliciano looked up at the sudden exclamation. It'd been a while since Lovino had done that. He tilted his head, then looked at Antonio. "Did you mess with his curl?"he asked.

Antonio nodded, looking at Feliciano with wide eyes.

Feliciano gave a soft laugh. "I would advise you not to do that if you wish to keep your hand. Lovi hates it when people continuiously mess with his curl,"

Gilbert gave a tilted smile. "It's been a while since I've heard an exclamation like that from you, Lovi."he commented.

Lovino flipped Gilbert off. "Shut up,"

Gilbert laughed at the look on Lovino's face. "C'mon, Lovi! You used to say that all the time."

"Because you and Francis wouldn't quit messing with my fucking curl and because I was always fucking agitated,"Lovino snapped. "It's not my fault."

Matthew had walked up in the middle of that. "No, it's like Feli and his ve, isn't it?"he said. "A nervous tick."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Feli? Nervous? Yeah, right."

Still, things settled back down at that point.

Lovino had never been so glad to see a Friday evening after school. It was nice out, and he'd been left alone that day. He mused on this as he was standing with Gilbert and Francis outside of the school.

Francis noticed and spoke. "What are you thinking on so hard, Lovi?"he asked.

Lovino shrugged. "I was left alone today. It's so odd.."he said, then glared at the two. "And I get the feeling that you two had something to do with that. Knowing you two, that isn't a good thing."

Gilbert laughed. "Aw, Lovi, we just told people to back off."he said.

Lovino knew that was the answer he was going to get and let it drop.

As soon as Antonio, Ludwig, and Feliciano joined them, they started walking. They'd decided a few days back that they'd all walk that Friday, just because it was supposed to be so nice out.

Lovino fell back a bit, smiling faintly. The day had been really nice. Whatever was done, he was glad it had been."

**Oh, my god. Our Romano actually said Chigi today at school. That's where that last bit came from. He wasn't even 'in character'! Anways, any pairing you want to see or any certain event you want to see in the story, let me know.**

**Hope you enjoyed this.**

**Au Revoir!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello! **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, things are slowly getting better. And I had to throw in that curl play bit - I blame the Romano that's in the cosplay group we have at my school, he gave me the idea!**

**GothicKitty1313: Indeed, he did. I just get the feeling that Lovi gets flustered a lot, so..it was unavoidable.**

**Mona Lisa's Balled: I'm sure Lovi appreciates the love!**

**Anyway, here's the new chapter, I hope you enjoy it.**

"No, I'm serious, he loves music, he just won't let people hear him play!"Gilbert told Antonio.

Antonio had gotten curious about Lovino, wondering what all the italian was hiding.

At that current moment, Lovino was trying to keep an eye on his younger brother out in the yard. Antonio and Gilbert were inside gathering drinks and snacks to take to place on the patio table out back.

Antonio nodded. "So, if I asked him to play something...?"he asked.

Gilbert laughed. "We both would die. Me for telling you, you for asking,"he said. "Don't bother, Tonio. If he wants to play, he'll play."

Antonio nodded and let it drop.

Once the two were back outside, it was to see that Feliciano had his brother pinned and that both of them were laughing.

"I give, I give, now let me up,"Lovino said.

Feliciano released his brother then and got up, helping him back up.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "..I don't even want to know."he said.

Francis looked back at the Prussian with a faint smile.

A silent comment was exchanged: it's nice to see Lovino being so playful and happy.

Feliciano grinned at Antonio and Gilbert.

Lovino blinked, glancing over at them.

Gilbert smiled faintly. "Having fun?"he asked.

Lovino gave a half smile and shrugged.

After a while, everyone settled down on the patio.

Lovino was silent, thoughtful.

Francis spoke after a long moment, snapping Lovino out of his thoughts. "You're zoning,"he said, looking at Lovino.

Lovino gave a faint smile. "Sorry,"

The group did end up having a good time that evening, just goofing off and being the teenagers they were.

Antonio ended up getting his guitar out so they had something to listen to since he hadn't unpacked his stereo from it's box yet. He sat down crosslegged on the grass with the others, guitar in hand.

Lovino blinked in surprise. "You play?"he asked, looking at Antonio curiously.

Antonio gave a knowing smile. "Yep."he said.

Feliciano grinned, looking at his smile. "Lovi! You should - "

Lovino glared at Feliciano. "Don't finish that sentence, Feli."he said, voice suddenly cold.

Antonio looked at Gilbert, who spoke. "Fine, I will. You should bring your bass to school on Monday, Lovi. I'd love to hear a collab sometime,"

Lovino's glare went to Gilbert then. "I hate you,"

Gilbert pouted. "Aw..do you really?"

Lovino glowered, but sighed and shook his head.

Sure enough, Monday morning, Lovino joined the others, a guitar case slung over his shoulder. "Happy?"he asked Gilbert, who grinned at the italian.

Arthur, who was sitting with them that morning, raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you played,"he commented.

Lovino glowered, sitting down and placing the case beside him.

Antonio had his guitar case placed against the wall behind him, Lovino noticed.

Gilbert spoke to Lovino and Antonio. "You two better figure out what song, because you're playing at lunch,"

"Fuck no, I'm not."Lovino snapped. "There are too many people in that lunch room,"

Francis smiled. "Which is why we're going out to the quad to eat today. Nobody's ever out there,"

Lovino frowned, but let him have it.

That day shaped up to be one of the worst for Lovino. Well, almost. People left him be for the most part. A few hateful comments were thrown at him in the halls, but nobody really bothered him.

Antonio and him were still talking about songs on their way to get their lunch and go to the quad.

It took them until they had a seat to figure out a song.

As soon as they sat down, Lovino noticed there were more people there than usual - Arthur and Matthew were sitting with them, as was Alfred. Lovino knew that Arthur and Matthew were kind. But Alfred was a jock at the school and he was hesitant to be near him because of that.

Gilbert seemed to notice and rolled his eyes. "Oh, relax, Lovino."he said. "Alfred isn't going to hurt anyone. He's here because Matthew drug him here."

Lovino frowned, but seeing as Matthew and Alfred _were_ brothers, he understood. He nodded and went back to his food in silence.

Silence reigned until everyone was finished eating. Then Gilbert looked up at Lovino and Antonio expectantly.

Lovino hesitated much more than Antonio did.

Still, after lunch, Lovino was more relaxed than he had been. He supposed it wasn't too bad, having to play in front of people.

After school, Lovino gave a faint smile to his friends as he waited on his brother to show up.

It had been a pretty decent day after all.

**Alright, here's the thing. I need to stop talking to our Romano. Because he's giving me too many ideas. He does play bass. This is his fault!**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. **

**If you wanna see a certain pairing or event here, let me know.**

**Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hallo! New chapter for you guys!**

**To my reviewers: **

**Spamano4ever: Well..Italy is one of the most creative/artistic countries. I can see Feli being good at art, but with Lovi's attitude, it seems to fit more that he'd be the musically inclined one of the brothers. Besides...it's easier to base things like that off of a cosplay group than anything, so that's what I did!**

**Mona Lisa's Balled: I believe Lovi and the others shall appreciate that!**

**Enjoy!**

The following day, Lovino woke up to a killer headache, but he got up anyway.

Feliciano seemed to realize Lovino wasn't feeling the best, because he didn't comment on his brother's dark appearance - the elder had on all black for a change.

The two headed out to school and as soon as they joined their group at school, Gilbert frowned.

"Lovi, are you feeling alright?"

Lovino glared at Gilbert but didn't respond otherwise.

He was too focused on his thoughts to be bothered by it.

By lunch, the headache was gone, so Lovino was feeling a lot better.

He partook in the conversation at lunch, but didn't really show much emotion.

At least, not until Gilbert decided to speak up. "Incoming,"he warned.

Lovino didn't even have the time to turn around to see what Gilbert was looking at over his shoulder before he felt the familiar sensation of something being thrown at him.

He glanced down at the floor near him to see a wadded up paper ball. He looked to see who'd thrown it, but found nobody standing there.

He frowned, picking up the paper ball and uncrumpling it to glance at what the paper held.

He scowled. A note. Of course.

After skimming what was writen, Lovino threw it away.

What little bit of a good mood he'd had previously was gone, replaced with pure anger.

This time, nobody bothered Lovino to see if he was okay. They could tell he wasn't.

Although he didn't want to be on the end of Lovino's bad mood, Antonio decided to stick with Lovino the rest of the day when he could and went out of his way to try to put the small italian in a good mood. He even went so far as to sneak up behind him as he stood at his locker to pick him up in a hug.

When Lovino elbowed him, though, he figured out that it wasn't wanted, nor was it needed.

Lovino looked at Antonio apologeticly, but said nothing. Antonio understood.

Still, that incident didn't keep the spaniard from walking home with Lovino. Feliciano once again got a ride with Ludwig and had left him behind.

Once they reached the italian's home, Antonio spoke again. "I hope you're in a better mood tomorrow, Lovi. I'll see you around?"

Lovino gave a short nod and headed to his porch before he turned and watched Antonio walk away.

He couldn't help question himself for the rest of the day.

Why did he feel empty when Antonio left instead of hanging around so that Lovino wasn't alone? Why did he find himself enjoying the spaniard's company?

It's not as if he _liked_ Antonio or the attention he gave him.

Oh.

Damn.

Lovino sighed, heading to his room. It had been a long day, one he wished would just be erased, or turn out to be a horrid dream.

Admittedly, Lovino did feel a bit more at ease the following day when he reached school. He'd fallen back into his pattern of joking around. He had an odd sense of humor, but his friends understood and were more than happy to joke with him.

Throughout classes, Lovino kept his attention on the lesson as well as he could, but his mind kept drifting away.

At lunch, Lovino spent the time he was eating in thought.

Gilbert tilted his head curiously. "Lovi."he said, making the italian look up. "Why are you so lost in your thoughts?"

Lovino shrugged after a moment. "I dunno."he responded.

After that, it died out. Nobody felt like pushing the topic.

Once Lovino was done eating, Antonio spoke. "So, could I walk home with you again sometime, Lovi?"he asked curiously.

Lovino turned pink and shrugged.

Gilbert grinned knowingly then and shared a look with Francis, who nodded discretely. This was just what Lovino needed, someone that cared so much about him. They'd seen the two interact yesterday after lunch, had seen Antonio going out of his way to try and cheer Lovino up. It didn't work too well, but it was the thought that counted, right?

**So, so sorry it's a bit short. But it is now after one in the morning. It's time for me to call it quits. Just thought I would post this before I went to bed.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed.**

**As always, if there's a side pairing or an event you wish to see here, let me know, I'll work with it.**

**Ciao!**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hi!**

**Here's a new chapter. **

**On a quick note before I continue, Happy St. Patrick's day, guys, and a very Happy Birthday to Lovino and Feliciano!**

**Now, to those who reviewed:**

**GothicKitty1313: In love? Not **_**yet.**_** Our dearest Lovi just has a tiny crush at the current moment. Still, easily flustered moments ahead? I think so.**

**Spamano4ever: Antonio does need to do that, but alas, he is much to kind to do such a thing. Ah, well, maybe he can find another way of getting people to back off and leave Lovi alone?**

**Enjoy, guys!**

Lovino yelped in surprise as he was jerked aside from where he was standing with his friends - by one of them, no less. "Damn it, Gilbert! Are you trying to yank my arm out of socket?"he demanded as soon as Gilbert stopped a good distance away from the others.

"You like Antonio."Gilbert said, a knowing grin showing.

Lovino blinked at the Prussian before he spoke. "_What_?"he asked. "No I don't!"

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh, whatever you say Lovi. I know a crush when I see one, and Francis completely agrees with me."

Lovino glowered at his friend. "I don't _care_ what you and the french perv think, I do not have a_ crush_ on anyone."he snapped.

Gilbert sighed. "Fine, live in denial. I don't care. Just let us know when you want to be honest with yourself about it,"he said, leading the italian back.

Francis raised an eyebrow, but Gilbert rolled his eyes in response, making the frenchman frown at Lovino, who was a bright red.

Antonio immediately noticed the blush and started cooing over how 'cute' it was.

Lovino glowered at the spaniard, but said nothing. He glared at Gilbert when he started laughing at that.

After that, Lovino's day went pretty well. At least, he made it to lunch with no trouble. Antonio walked with him to lunch again, talking a mile a minute.

"...and it's great that we all get to hang out here at school, but it's not really that much time we get to talk to one another, you know? So, I thought maybe we could all make a habit of spending some time together on the weekends or something."

Lovino nodded in understanding, but said nothing until they had had a seat.

Then Feliciano started in. "Lovi!"he greeted. "Nonno texted me earlier, he won't be home for a while."

Lovino sighed. "As usual,"he mumbled. "Work again?"

Feliciano gave an understanding smile and nodded. "He said to tell you he'd make it up to you,"

Lovino shook his head. "No he won't."he countered. "It doesn't even matter, anyway. It's just some stupid..." He trailed off, his gaze going to the table top.

"Some stupid performance that means a lot to you for him to see."Feliciano commented. "Lovi, don't shrug this off like you always do. He said he'd make it up to you,"

Lovino glared at his brother. "It's stupid, Feli."he snapped.

Gilbert looked at Lovino. "Performance?"he asked.

Lovino shrugged. "Yeah. In a couple days at the park. Ludwig told Feli about it, and Feli told me, asked if I would play. He'd already signed me up to perform. Nonno heard and said he'd be there,"he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "But, once again, he can't."

Francis frowned slightly. "Why didn't you tell us?"he asked.

Lovino shrugged. "It's stupid, anyways."

"So you keep saying."Gilbert commented. "Well, we'll be there. All of us."

Lovino looked at Gilbert before he shrugged again. "Yeah, okay.."he mumbled, falling silent in favor of eating his lunch.

Nobody bothered him again. Just before he finished his lunch, his phone went off. He sighed and got his phone out, glancing at the caller id before he answered. "Ciao."he greeted, voice deadpan.

The others glanced at him curiously to see that the moody italian had a blank mask up as he listened.

"Yeah..Feli told me."Lovino responded, looking up at the others for a moment.

It took a few moments before Lovino spoke again. "Gil said that him and the others would be there. It's fine,"he said quietly.

After a few more seconds, Lovino shook his head and hung up, putting his phone away.

Feliciano met his brother's eyes. "Lovi? You aren't mad are you?"

Lovino shook his head. "No. It's probably better that nonno isn't there,"he responded, going back to his lunch.

The rest of the day drug by. Antonio once again stuck with Lovino, trying to pull him from his thoughts.

By the time the two met the others outside, Lovino was managing to joke around again, even if it was half hearted.

Antonio was currently questioning Lovino about what he was going to play. Lovino shook his head. "You'll see, I promise."he said, giving a soft smile.

Feliciano grinned at this. "Lovi!"he exclaimed happily.

Gilbert gave Lovino a knowing smile as Lovino looked past him to meet his brother's eyes.

This was becoming quite normal for them, apparently.

The group ended up all walking to the Vargas home, joking and cutting up the entire time. As soon as they got there, Lovino disappeared for a while.

Feliciano rolled his eyes at this, but it gave him time to talk to the others without Lovino snapping at him.

Lovino came back into the room after a while.

Gilbert smiled at Lovino when he entered. "Feeling alright?"he asked.

Lovino nodded with a faint smile. "Hey, don't bother too much with caring, Gil. You've reached your limit today,"

Gilbert flipped Lovino off and Lovino stuck his tounge out in response.

This exchange gained laughs from the others and Lovino gave another faint smile.

Maybe this wouldn't turn out too badly.

**So..here ya go.**

**If there's any pairings or events you'd like to see, let me know.**

**Ciao.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Here ya go, guys, new chapter.**

**To my reviewers: **

**Spamano4ever:** **Toni will indeed be there to listen to Lovi play! **

**Anyways, here ya go. Enjoy!**

Antonio didn't stop bugging Lovino until Lovino snapped at him.

"For god's sakes, Antonio, there is two hours until you will know, alright? Let it go."he said.

Antonio pouted, but said nothing more.

Feliciano, however, decided to speak up. "So, Lovi, have you finally decided?"he asked curiously.

Lovino glared at his brother. "What did I just tell Antonio? I decided, of course, and no I won't tell you."

Feliciano brightened. "Well, I hope you have two songs ready, because they're requested you do two!"

Lovino huffed. "Feli, I got it. You warned me of that after you signed me up, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."Feliciano said.

"Idiota,"

The group ended up just talking for a while, at least up until they had to leave. Lovino had already changed into what he was wearing for the performance - he'd gotten up and done that when he got frustrated with people. He doubled back to his room to get his bass before he walked with the others to the park.

Lovino didn't get nervous until someone came up to him and the others and addressed him. "Which of you is Romano?"

Lovino glowered at his brother before he raised his hand.

"Ten minutes before you have to set up,"

After that, the young girl flitted off again. Lovino turned to look at his brother. "I am going to kill you."he said.

Feliciano gave a bright smile. "But Lovi! Look around, a lot of people from school are here."

"Big deal,"Lovino deadpanned. "It doesn't matter,"

Gilbert spoke. "He did it so that you'd have a bit of cover before you came on stage in front of everyone, Lovi. Let him be,"

Lovino nodded.

As the minutes disappeared, Gilbert saw that Lovino's hands were shaking. Stage fright. "Hey, Lovi! Calm down."he said. "You're going to give yourself a panic attack,"

Lovino looked over at him with widened eyes. "I am calm,"he countered.

"You're shaking,"Gilbert said, deadpan.

Someone came to fetch him right about then. He gave the others a wave. "See you guys later,"he said.

"Good luck!"Antonio called out.

Lovino chuckled faintly before he got out of range.

Gilbert frowned. "I've never seen him so nervous."he said. "And he's got help, so I know it's not that."

Feliciano shrugged. "It's the first time he's performed in front of people he doesn't know and trust,"he said in response. "But he'll be okay."

A good five minutes later, someone announced Lovino and the italian found himself in front of a microphone.

He knew they expected him to say something before he started, but he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Feliciano caught his eyes and motioned for him to breathe.

Lovino did so and started without another moment of hesitation, his eyes going to the chords he was playing. The people who were playing behind to help out caught on just a split moment later.

Feliciano grinned when he heard the song. "He would,"he mumbled.

Gilbert laughed lightly. "I've heard him humming this so many times,"he commented.

Lovino noticed this and relaxed a good bit when he actually started singing.

He'd never sung in front of anyone before. Not even Feliciano.

As such, Feliciano was surprised by his brother's voice. He hadn't expected it.

As soon as Lovino finished what he was doing, he headed down, bass back in it's case and on his back. He set it down beside him and grinned at his friends and brother.

Feliciano immediately caught his brother in a tight hug. "That was great, Lovi!"he said brightly.

Francis finished doing something on his phone and grinned at Lovino. "And your nonno did get to see it, as well. I recorded it and sent it to him."he said.

Lovino smiled at Francis thankfully.

Gilbert grinned mischieviously. "You never let us know you could sing. Ever. Wonder what else you can do,"

Lovino flipped Gilbert off. "Like that's any of your business, Gilbert."he commented.

Antonio gave Lovino a hug after Feliciano released him, making Lovi turn slightly pink. People who weren't family just didn't hug him. It was a first.

Gilbert gave a knowing smirk, but said nothing.

Antonio released him soon after. "That was great, Lovi."he said kindly.

They all ended up going back to the Vargas home again after that ended.

Lovino immediately collaped on the couch, letting out a sigh. "So nice to be home,"he mumbled. "That was nerve wrecking."

Gilbert chuckled, sitting down in front of Lovino on the floor. "Let me guess, time for your siesta?"he asked.

Lovino laughed, shaking his head. "Nope. Not this time."he replied.

Although they knew they'd come to regret it later, the group stayed up rather late and ended up goofing off.

Lovino was one of the first of them to fall asleep.

The following morning, Lovino woke up to see the others sleeping at random places in the room.

Antonio was the one closest to him, curled up against his side with an arm thrown across him.

Lovino rubbed at his eyes and, careful not to wake the spaniard as he got up and went to go get started on his morning routine.

That morning before school was rather hectic. Ludwig headed out to go get some extra clothes for Gilbert, Francis, and Antonio, as well as changing himself.

Lovino mused over the previous day that morning as he watched Feliciano talk with Ludwig and Antonio. It hadn't been too bad. Not as bad as it could have been, at any rate.

**Another chapter today. **

**By the way, if you're wondering, the song that Lovi plays in this is Airplanes by the Ready Set. **

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Hola, guys.**

**Another chapter for you.**

**To my reviewers: **

**Spamano4ever: Lovi is talented, both of the italy brothers are, in their own way. And yeah, I suppose I do update quickly. But it also says something about my social life: outside of my cosplay group, it's dead. Still, I enjoy writing, so whatever.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

That morning when the group got into school and situated in their normal place, Alfred came bounding by, dragging Arthur with him. Matthew wandered over at his own pace.

Alfred gave a cheeky grin. He looked at Lovino. "You did great yesterday,"he commented.

Arthur pulled his wrist out of the American's grip, rubbing it with a glare directed at the excitable blond.

Lovino bit back a laugh at that. "Thank you,"he said honestly.

Matthew smiled at Lovino once he stopped with the group as well.

Gilbert chuckled. "Alright, so you're okay with people commenting on your playing, but if I try to talk to you about anything else, you snap?"he asked Lovino. "I'm hurt,"

"Well, it's none of your fucking business, so of course I snap at you."Lovino responded.

Matthew raised his eyebrow. "Oh? Is there something else that's being questioned?"he asked, looking at Lovino. "Why exactly have you found yourself being questioned?"  
Lovino rolled his eyes. "Francis and Gilbert think I have a crush on someone."he said softly. "As if,"

Gilbert went to give more information, but Lovino glared at him, keeping him silent.

Matthew smiled knowingly. "Oh."he said. "So..no?"

Lovino glowered at Matthew and shook his head. "No."he said.

But Matthew smiled faintly. "Yeah, sure.."he murmured.

Feliciano smiled at his brother. "You are so crushing!"

"I am not!"Lovino snapped. "Discussion dropped,"

Feliciano kept quiet for a moment before he grinned. "You are,"he said before letting it drop.

Throughout the day, Antonio was bugging Lovino about his 'crush' trying to figure out why Lovino was being so defensive about it.

When they entered the lunchroom, that's exactly what they were talking about.

"Come on, Lovi! Tell me!"Antonio said softly. "I just wanna know!"

Lovino shook his head. "For the last damn time, I am not crushing on someone, let it go,"

Gilbert laughed at the irony when he heard this. "Oh, this is priceless,"he told Francis.

Matthew, who was sitting with them that day, grinned knowingly. "So, it's Antonio?"he asked quietly before Lovino and Antonio got there and sat down.

Gilbert nodded once. "He just won't fess up to it,"he responded.

When the two sat down with the others, the topic was dropped.

Throughout lunch, things were pretty calm. As soon as the group finished eating, though, Francis spoke up. "So, Lovi, how'd you like being used as a teddy bear last night?"he asked.

Lovino turned red. "Fucking scared the shit out of me,"he said. "God knows when I sleep I'm dead to the world, so when I woke up this morning being used as a teddy bear, it startled me."

Francis laughed lightly. "I was wondering. You're face was still pretty red this morning at breakfast,"

Matthew raised an eyebrow. "You guys crashed at their place?"he asked.

Feliciano nodded. "They sure did."he commented.

Lovino dropped his head into his hands when this conversation continued. After a while, he looked back up and spoke. "Can we please drop this subject?"he asked.

Gilbert smirked. "Wanna admit you have a crush?"he asked.

Lovino glared. "Nevermind,"he grumbled, dropping his head back into his hands.

After a while, they dropped the topic and Lovino looked back up again.

Throughout the rest of the classes for the day, Antonio continued to bother Lovino about his crush.

_Why can't he just leave it be?_ Lovino thought during their shared history class.

But Antonio didn't leave it be. It continued until they met up with the others outside. They were going to hang around for a while longer before heading to Gilbert's and Ludwig's house to hang out for a while.

After a while longer of Antonio bugging him and Gilbert and Francis giving him knowing smiles, he cracked. "Fine, god damn it, I have a crush. Can you guys stop now? You're all driving me insane!"

Francis smirked. "Nope. You have to admit who it is before we'll leave you be."

Lovino glared at the frenchman. "Fuck you,"he spat.

Still, Antonio backed off a bit then. Lovino was able to relax a little bit.

At least, until they started on the long walk to the Beilschmidt household. Then, Gilbert decided to start up again. "Lovi! Why won't you just admit it?"he asked.

Lovino growled. "Gilbert, damn it, you know why!"

Gilbert frowned. "But..Lovi?"he said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Lovino gave Gilbert a deadpan look. "Alright, how's this: the day you admit to Matt that you have a crush on him - and I know you do, because you've told me before after you got fucking drunk off your ass a while back - I'll tell the person I have a crush on that I like them."

Gilbert recoiled, suddenly glad that Matthew wasn't with them this time. He sighed. "Deal."he said, a stubborn light coming into his eyes.

Francis noticed and chuckled. "Alfred will kill you if you hurt his petit frère, Gilbert."he commented. "Just a fair warning."

Gilbert nodded in understanding. "I never said I would hurt him."he responded calmly.

The look that Gilbert gave Lovino made the italian think that he just screwed himself over. Again.

He had time, right?

Wrong. Damn. Lovino watched in shock as Gilbert spoke with Matthew. He could hear every word said.

It was still early that morning, but it felt like it was already time to go home to Lovino. His shock was evident.

Francis gave Lovino a knowing look, but said nothing.

That day at lunch, Gilbert gave Lovino a look that was clearly asking if he was going to back out. Lovino shook his head at that, sitting down in silence.

Matthew, who was sitting with them again, spoke. "So, Lovino, are you regretting that deal yet?"he asked. "Gil told me that that deal is what made him get the courage up to tell me he liked me."

Lovino sighed. "I'm going to be laughed at, I already know it."he admitted. "So, yes, I am regretting it very much."

Gilbert took pity on Lovino. "Fine. Listen, I'll help you figure out how to tell him, okay?"he said softly.

Lovino gave a half thankful smile and nodded. "Thanks, Gilbert."

Other than that, it was pretty quiet at lunch.

That same evening, Gilbert decided to text Lovino through classes to help him plan.

By the time they got out of school that day, Lovino was freaking out. "Gilbert, I can't do this,"he said. Gilbert, Matthew and him were the first ones outside of their grouping. "I'm going to make a fool of myself."

Gilbert sighed. "Lovino, breathe."he commented.

Feliciano and Ludwig showed up about then. "Francis is keeping Antonio back,"Ludwig said. "Which may be a good thing because it looks like Lovino here is about to have a panic attack,"

Lovino flipped him off.

Feliciano moved to take one of his brother's hands. "Fratello, calm down. It's Toni. He's not going to laugh at you,"

Lovino pulled his hand from his brother's harshly. "Feli, for once in your life, do not touch me."he said.

Gilbert understood then. "You've never told someone you like them before, have you?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head.

Gilbert groaned. "You should have told me this, Lovi!"he said, getting his phone out and sending a text to Francis.

Matthew took pity on Lovino. "Alright, I'll handle this. You calm down before you have a panic attack,"he said, taking off into the school in search of Francis and Antonio. He found them near some of the lockers.

Francis was reading something on his phone.

"Hey!"Matthew said in greeting.

"Hello, Mattheiu."Francis greeted, looking up. "Did Gilbert send you?"

Antonio smiled in greeting.

Matthew returned this smile before he spoke. "No. I sent myself. I figured Lovi needs all the help we can give him, because he's so close to a panic attack,"he said.

Francis frowned. "Poor Lovi."he said softly.

Antonio tilted his head. "So, do you guys know who it is he has a crush on?"he asked.

Matthew nodded. "Come on,"he said, taking off back outside.

Francis and Antonio followed behind.

Lovino was talking with Gilbert when they got back outside.

"...that's why I was so hesitant to even admit that I had a crush, much less one on Toni. I can't deal with normal relationships like other people can."Lovino said, his voice quiet, but still able to drift back.

Matthew caught Gilbert's eyes as he walked up.

Gilbert half smiled, glancing back at Antonio, who looked surprised, but had a faint smile showing. "Lovino?"he asked. "Turn around."

Lovino looked at him in confusion before turning, look of utter confusion still there until he spotted Antonio there, within hearing range.

He froze then.

Why did he still trust his friends so much? He didn't know. But, he supposed, Antonio wasn't yelling at him or anything, so maybe it was okay.

Hopefully.

**And here it is. **

**So, one of the side pairings is going to be PruCan. Another, maybe, GerIta. Any others you guys wanna see?**

**Anyway, ciao.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: Hola.**

**Here's the new chapter. **

**To my reviewers: **

**Bowbowbow: USUK. Got it. I'll see what I can manage.**

**GothicKitty1313: For Lovi, that is a confession. I got so frustrated trying to write that because, god damn, Lovi just..has way too many insercurity issues. But that's what makes him so loveable, I suppose.**

**Spamano4ever: If only it were that simple, right? Lovi might let Toni love him, but Toni also has to work through those idiots at school who've worsened Lovi's inferiority issues. Though, you might enjoy most of this chapter.**

**animeluvv679: I'm glad you like the story! USUK. I will do my best.**

**On a side note here, I might not be able to update again soon, as my laptop might be taken away for spending all day today writing. Great way to start a week of cosplaying, right? **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

Nobody said anything for a long while. Then Antonio spoke. "You..you like me?"he asked Lovino.

That finally snapped the italian out of his surprise and caused him to go pink. He hadn't expected this.

The group walked towards the park, where they were going to spend time that evening before returning to their own homes.

Lovino went straight to the swings that were close to the woods and sat down.

Feliciano smiled faintly.

"What's he doing?"Francis asked.

Feliciano spoke softly. "He loves the swings. He kind of grew up really fast after nonno took us from our parents when we were little, like six, so he never acted like a child unless he was on a swing set. We let him be when he does this, because it helps him relax and clear his thoughts."he said quietly.

Antonio heard and headed over to where Lovino was on the swings.

Gilbert looked after Antonio before exchanging looks with the others. "Is he suicidal? Messing with Lovino when he's trying to relax?"he asked.

Feliciano watched carefully as Antonio paused near Lovino, clearly asking something.

Lovino gave a tilted smile and nodded, amusement sparkling in his normally cold eyes.

Antonio moved behind the italian, pushing him gently to make the swing go forward before taking a step back and repeating the action. After Lovino started laughing, Antonio stood aside, well, sat rather, seeing as he sat in the swing beside Lovinos to watch him.

Feliciano grinned. "No. He's being sweet,"he answered.

After that, the others trailed off to sit nearby under a tree.

After a while, Antonio got up and pulled Lovino's swing to a stop, letting the italian get off the swing before he grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the group.

Gilbert smiled faintly. "Enjoy your time acting like a child, Lovi?"he asked.

Lovino, who was flushed and smiling brightly, stuck his tounge out at Gilbert.

Feliciano grinned, but said nothing.

Admittedly, he was just glad that his brother was happy.

After Feliciano and Lovino got home, they went about fixing dinner.

While they did so, they spoke.

"Fratello?"Feliciano asked. "You seemed happy. Are you?"

Lovino hesitated before he responded. "I don't know."he responded. "I guess I am."

Feliciano smiled at that. He knew his brother better than most. He _was_ happy. It would just take some time for him to get used to the feeling of actually being happy.

The following morning, Lovino got to school with Feliciano a bit earlier than planned since Ludwig and Gilbert had swung by to give them a ride to school. Lovino was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when he managed to sit with the others.

Matthew gave a faint smile at Lovino's actions. "I see someone's still tired,"he commented.

Lovino flipped him off half heartedly. "Go to hell, Matt."he commented.

Matthew smiled. "Already there, Lovi. Take a look around yourself,"

Lovino nodded in response to that. "Fair enough,"he mumbled.

It was at that moment that Antonio showed up. He smiled at the others and ruffled Lovino's hair as he sat down, careful of the italian's wayward curl as he did so.

Lovino blinked at him, but said nothing, letting it be. It was far too early for this.

Still, he supposed, the day couldn't be too bad.

**I know it's short! But I'm outta time here. School. See you guys next time!**

**Adios!**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Hallo!**

**Here is the new chapter! And I finally cleaned up my room so I could get back on the computer to do this. I can't not update.**

**To my reviewers:**

**Spamano4ever: He is, isn't he? Though he may not be too keen on being called adorable.**

**GothicKitty1313: It is cute. The awkward thing is I saw that same type of thing today with our Romano and Canada. They were joking around this morning at school. Damn them.**

**XxLadyOfSinxX: I know, I did the same for my little brother without realizing it. I can just see Lovino being the one to take on the responsibility of looking after Feliciano while Roma is working and gone a lot. And then..the comeback. It is true. They are technically in their hell - a homophobic school with a bunch of duche bags. And I'm sure Lovi appreciates the hopefulness.**

**Xenat25: And he most definitely **_**will**_** go into protective mode. He's just so keen on protecting those he's close to. Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy it!**

**Alright, on a side note, I am writing this in time before a pretty bad storm hits here in Northwest Georgia, so some of my spelling might be off because well..storms. Hate them with a burning passion.**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Once again, he was proven wrong. By the time he got to lunch, he felt like hell. In fact, he pushed his home-brought lunch away from himself and laid his head on the table.

Feliciano frowned at this. "Fratello? Ti senti bene?"he asked carefully.

Lovino pushed himself up to glare at his brother. "Feliciano, chiudi quella cazzo di bocca."he snapped.

Antonio raised an eyebrow as he joined the table from getting his lunch. "Is everything okay?"he asked.

Lovino nodded, laying his head back down against the table.

Gilbert frowned at Lovino. "What's wrong, Lovino?"he asked.

Lovino growled, pushing himself up and glowering at Gilbert. "Nothing,"he snapped.

Antonio frowned, pulling the moody italian closer to him.

"What the fuck are you doing!"Lovino snipped.

Antonio chuckled, tightening his grip. "Just relax."he murmured. "You're too tense,"

Matthew gave a faint smile as he sat down, but that smile faded when he saw Lovino's expression. "Who messed with you this time?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head.

Matthew sighed. "Eat, Lovi. I'll drive you home after lunch, you don't need to be here,"

Lovino gave a tense, fake smile and nodded, pulling his lunch to him with a little difficulty due to Antonio not wanting to let go of him.

The rest of lunch was rather quiet.

Antonio walked with Lovino and Matthew to the parking lot. He gave Lovino a sad smile. "I hope your day gets better, Lovi."he said, giving the boy's hand a squeeze before letting go and opening the car door for the italian. Matthew was waiting behind the steering wheel.

Lovino hesitated. "Don't let Gilbert and Francis kill anyone, please?"he said softly.

Antonio nodded.

Lovino gave another fake smile and got in the car.

Antonio closed the door and disappeared back into the school.

That evening after school, Antonio found some of the kids that he'd heard throw harsh comments at Lovino before and stopped in front of them. "Leave Lovino alone,"he snapped.

The silence that fell lasted until Ludwig and Feliciano came by. Ludwig rolled his eyes, grabbing one of Antonio's arms and dragging him away before he could start up.

Ludwig only released him when he stopped by the others outside.

Gilbert gave Antonio a look. "Lovino won't like you sticking up for him like that when he isn't here, Tonio."he said.

Antonio nodded in understanding.

Gilbert smiled faintly. "Alright, let's go check on the fiesty italian, ja?"he said.

Feliciano glanced at his watch. "He might be taking a siesta,"he commented.

Francis chuckled, but said nothing.

Sure enough, when the group made it there, Lovino was napping on the couch.

Feliciano gave a faint smile and tossed a blanket over his brother before he disappeared to start dinner. "Are you guys wanting to stay for dinner?"he asked.

A few 'sure's sounded as everyone settled down quietly.

Lovino blinked his eyes open to the smell of pasta being made and sat up, rubbing at one of his eyes. He looked at the blanket in surprise when it fell to his lap. He looked up then to see the others talking nearby. "Ciao, bastards,"he commented tiredly.

Matthew gave Lovino a kind smile. "Feeling better now?"he questioned.

"Much,"

That evening was nice. The group chattered quite a bit while they ate. It was nice.

**So, here's the chapter. It is now storming very loudly - it's covering my music. I hope you enjoyed it. Now, it's looking green outside, I'm going to my hidey hole until this storm passes.**

**If you wanna see a certain pairing (I am including USUK in the story) or event, let me know!**

**Auf Wiedersehen!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Geia sas!**

**So, currently writing this while listening to Europa by Globus. Not a good idea on my part.**

**To my reviewers: **

**Spamano4ever: Yes, poor bambino. But Toni's not gunna let him get hurt too much! Not if he can help it!**

**Xenat25: Trust me, those three will do something about it with or without Lovi's concent. Preferably with, but..well..they're stubborn in the best of situations. Thanks for reading!**

**GothicKitty1313: Oh they know about it. They were the ones to give me the inspiration to really start this! However, if they keep it up, they're dead. I mean, our Switzy has already jumped all over the both of them for driving me crazy as it is.**

**Anywho, onto the chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

Lovino stayed up much longer than the others, moving to sit out on the back patio to watch the stars in silence.

He knew that group well enough to know they were all sound asleep and wouldn't wake until morning.

As time passed in the silence, Lovino sat musing. Most of the time, the other people at school usually stuck to using his attitude against him. He frowned deeply as he recalled exactly what had been said. Everyone knew his and his brother's situation fully. He just never expected to have it turned against him. "_I suppose it's not your fault your parents didn't want you and your brother,"_

Those words would forever haunt him, he knew. He didn't bother fighting the memories that assaulted him with the echo of those words. His parents always fighting. Always having to protect Feliciano. Their nonno coming in and taking them in the middle of one of the constant fights. He didn't know what the fights were about, he was just glad to be away from them.

It was only when their parents didn't come to get them, didn't contact them, that Lovino realized: their parents didn't want them. They were glad the brothers were gone.

Just as that thought passed through Lovino's head, the tears he'd been fighting against all day sprung into his eyes and fell.

He _hated_ those sorry bastards. Their parents. The other people at school. He didn't snap from his thoughts until he heard someone walk up behind him and sit down, wrapping their arms around him.

Lovino didn't have to look back to know who it was.

"Fratello, why are you crying?"

Feliciano. So, so innocent.

Lovino tilted his head down for a moment before he spoke. "It's nothing, Feli. Go back to bed."he whispered softly. "I'll be back in soon,"

Feliciano nodded, but made no move to get up again. Instead, he shifted to sit beside Lovino. He gently drew circles at the nape of his brother's neck, knowing that it always calmed him down.

Lovino gave Feliciano a tilted smile at that. "Go to bed, Feli."he said, smacking his brother's hand away gently. "Sogni d'oro."

Feliciano nodded again, this time getting up and going back to his make-shift bed for the night.

After Lovino's tears had finally come to a complete stop, he got up and went back in, heading to bed as well.

The following morning, Lovino was the last one to wake up.

Antonio glanced at the italian when he got up and frowned at the tear tracks evident on his face. He didn't ask, though.

Once Lovino was up and ready, however, Antonio spoke up and addressed it. "Lovi, were you crying sometime last night?"

Lovino blinked at Antonio. "Why?"he asked.

"Tear tracks,"Antonio answered. "Is it because of the people at school?"  
Lovino knew there was no getting out of it. Feliciano was watching him too.

He shook his head. "Memories,"he responded.

Antonio nodded in understanding and took one of Lovino's hands as they caught up with the others who were heading out already.

Francis had disappeared early to school and met up with them at the school. He looked at Lovino. "I have a song I want you to try to play, Lovi. And I know you know it."

Lovino looked at the frenchman curiously, removing his hand from Antonio's grip to look through the sheet music and lyrics that Francis had handed him.

Feliciano looked over Lovino's shoulder curiously before he grinned. "Aw, Lovi, will you? It's been ages since you've played it, ve~!"

_There's that ve. Damn it, why did he have to be so much like a little child,_ Lovino thought as he looked up at his brother. He sighed before he nodded. "Sure,"he said softly. "Free period last block?"he asked.

It was supposed to be an assembly day, but they'd all started skipping those due to the looks they got when they entered the gym to take their normal seats - they dealt with it enough outside of assemblies, they could go without.

The others agreed to that. Matthew spoke. "Mind if I invite Alfred and Arthur as well?"he asked.

Lovino shrugged. "If you can get them to come, go for it, I don't care,"he responded, going back to looking at the chord progression on the sheet music.

At lunch, Matthew let Lovino and the others know that Alfred and Arthur would be there. Their normal meeting place - the auditorium.

Lovino nodded and went back to his food in silence.

Once the announcement came for everyone to head to the gym, the group disappeared into the auditorium. The band teacher, who knew what they were doing, saw them and nodded to them on her way to the gym, but said nothing.

Lovino half smiled, holding the door open for the others in silence in a rare moment of kindness.

Once they were all situated in the room, Lovino sitting on the the edge of the stage, an electric guitar sitting across his lap and hooked up.

He was taking another look at the chords and lyrics. He spoke to Francis. "I swear to god, Francis, you are so dead later. I haven't heard this in years,"he said.

Francis smiled softly. "Just start, you'll do fine,"

Lovino gave him a look, but nodded and set the papers aside so he could still see them before he started playing.

Ludwig blinked. It was odd, hearing Lovino play something that was slow for a change.

Lovino sung at the end, but nothing else. He didn't really know the beat to the words for anything else in the song.

"_Maybe there's a God above, but all I've ever learned from love was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you. And it's not a cry that you hear at night, it's not somebody who's seen the light, it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah.."_

Francis looked at Feliciano, who's eyes held a deep secret in them. As soon as Lovino finished, he shook his head, putting the guitar aside and looking at the others. "Happy now?"he asked.

Feliciano met his brother's eyes and Lovino sighed. "Lovino? You never told me..."

Lovino titled his head down. "Ho dovuto proteggerti, mio fratello idiota. Pensi che ti avrei lasciato soffrire?"he said softly, slipping back into italian.

Feliciano nodded that he understood, but he still spoke. "But you suffered for it!"

Lovino shrugged. "It's my job, Feli."

Gilbert looked between the brothers in confusion before his eyes widened. "Lovino Romano Vargas, you had better be kidding me!"

Lovino looked at Gilbert with a completely blank face. "Gilbert, I want you to do me a favor. Look at Feliciano. See how _innocent_ he is. Then look at me and tell me that you'd rather I not try to protect him, try to let him keep that innocence for a while longer,"

Gilbert looked to Feliciano, but sighed and nodded. "I just.. Don't get yourself into trouble,"

Lovino grinned. "I won't. Nobody messes with Feli anymore."he responded. "Thankfully."

The group looked at Lovino with a new understanding. All that he went through, he used to share it. That first week after Feliciano had outted them, the younger Vargas twin had shared it with his brother. Then Lovino had took it all on himself to save his brother from losing his innocence.

The dismissal bell sounded not long after that, and the group spent some time talking before parting ways for the evening.

Feliciano spoke happily with Lovino on the way home. It was all Lovino had ever wanted for his brother. He just hoped it would last a good bit of time longer. Because he deserved it.

**AN: It is official, our Romano and Canada are dead tomorrow. Their stupid skit...gr. Our Italy sent me the cosplay video we did today at school. It was fun, but the video didn't help me with this. **

**Any pairing or event you'd like to see? Let me know!**

**Antío!**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Hello!**

**Here's the new chapter, loves!**

**To my reviewers: **

**Spamano4ever: He is, he just doesn't like people watching out for him. Don't worry, Feli will make sure Toni helps him look after Lovi! Besides, within that grouping, I can see them watching out for each other.**

**GothicKitty1313: I never said it wasn't entertaining! Of course they're going to keep doing it. I just wish they'd tone it down after they get crazy looks from **_**our**_** group. The others at school I couldn't care less about. They're freaking insane!**

**Anywho, here's the new chapter.**

Rain was following the next morning, and Gilbert and Ludwig once again picked the Vargas brothers up on the way to school.

Even so, Lovino managed to get soaked on the trek from the parking lot to the inside of the school building.

Gilbert laughed lightly at Lovino's expression when his hair fell into his face due to this.

Lovino pouted slightly, sitting down on the floor in silence.

Francis glanced up from his notebook then with a curious look in his eyes. He half smiled at that, going back to what he was looking through.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "What are you studying over?"he asked softly.

Francis spoke without raising his eyes. "Just a few notes I'm supposed to figure out,"he responded.

Lovino let it be, knowing he probably didn't want to know what it was about.

A few moments later, Lovino yelped in surprise when someone placed a hat atop his head. He looked up to see a laughing Antonio.

Antonio plopped down beside Lovino with a grin. "Hola, mi amigos."he greeted. He looked at Lovino with a much gentler smile. "Sorry about startling you, Lovi."

Lovino's glare died out at that and he managed a light smile. "It's alright, Toni."he responded.

That morning was pretty good. Antonio caught him before lunch and grabbed his hand.

Lovino rolled his eyes at the spaniard.

They found themselves amid a lot of kind chatter at lunch that day - it was just one of those days that made everyone feel better to be close to others.

When the thunder started rolling, Feliciano jumped and hid himself in Ludwig's arms. Alfred and Arthur, who'd joined them that day, had both jumped as well.

Silence fell over the group for a long moment.

Lovino frowned at his brother before he sighed. "Who's up for skipping the rest of the day?"he asked quietly.

That drew Feliciano out of his hiding place. "Lovi! Nonno would kill us if he found out!"

"And?"Lovino countered. "With how you are, it's not like you're getting anything done in class."

Feliciano pouted until another round of thunder sounded.

Gilbert nodded. "I'm game,"he said softly.

By the end of lunch, everyone had agreed and they disappeared after lunch, heading to Gilbert and Ludwig's home for the rest of the day.

"No, I'm telling you Lovino, it's not that bad. Just try it."Gilbert said, pushing a box towards the italian.

Lovino eyed the box hesitantly. "No."he said stubbornly.

Gilbert huffed, but said nothing more.

Antonio rolled his eyes at this and grabbed the box, opening it in silence.

Gilbert blinked at him in surprise.

Antonio gave a sheepish smile and raised an eyebrow at him. "It's pocky. I don't care,"he said softly. "Someone at my old school got me addicted to this stuff,"

Nothing more was said and Antonio gave a faint smile, wrapping his arms around Lovino, causing the italian to blink at him in surprise.

Antonio pouted. "One bite?"he asked, holding the stick of pocky out to the italian.

Lovino sighed. "Will you stop bugging me about it if I agree to that?"he asked.

Antonio nodded once.

Lovino sighed and nodded, taking a bite before shoving the hand with the pocky away from him.

Antonio chuckled, absently munching on the rest in the silence.

Matthew laughed lightly at that. "I swear, you two.."he commented.

Lovino looked at him curiously.

Matthew spoke. "I have never seen cute before when Lovino's involved, but that is cute,"he said softly.

Lovino rolled his eye at that and flipped the canadian off.

.

Once things settled down again, Lovino ended up falling asleep in the quiet.

Feliciano noticed and chuckled. "Aw~"he said softly.

Antonio glanced down at Lovino before he shifted slightly to remove his jacket. He laid the jacket over Lovino and then wrapped his arms back around the small italian.

Gilbert smiled at that. He was really glad that Lovino had someone like Antonio in his life now, because if he knew anything about the spaniard, it was that even though he was happy go lucky, he was very protective and caring. Lovino had needed someone like that in his life for a while now. Gilbert knew that, as did Francis and Feliciano. But now that Antonio was there, they couldn't imagine anyone else being able to fit that mold. Maybe now Lovino could finally settle a bit, relax.

**And that's it.**

**Hope you enjoyed**

**Bye!**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Hej!**

**New chapter!**

**To those of you who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I know! The most I get to do is my friends distract me with cosplay ideas and roleplay and stuff. Lovi is adorable when he's tired!**

**GothicKitty1313: Indeed they are perfect for each other! **

**Nyd kapitlet!**

Throughout the next few weeks, things settled into a simple routine. Two months later, the band teacher approached Lovino while the group was at lunch and spoke.

"Lovino Vargas,"she greeted.

"Ciao."Lovino responded, turning to look at her.

She smiled softly. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Lovino gave the others a look before he got up, making Antonio release his hold on the italian's shoulders.

He came back a few moments later holding a piece of paper in his hand.

Arthur blinked at him. "What was that about?"he asked curiously.

Lovino held up a finger, finishing what he was reading on the page after he'd had a seat again. He half smiled and looked up. "She was just asking if I was interested in signing up for the talent show this year."he replied.

Feliciano brightened. "Are you going to?"he asked.

"I have to talk with nonno about it first, Feli."Lovino responded. "But I'll think about it, for sure."

Antonio smiled, throwing his arm back around the italian's shoulder and pressing a soft kiss to his temple. "You'll have to let us know when you figure it out, Lovi."he said softly. "That way we can be there to see you perform,"

Lovino smiled softly in response and nodded. "Of course,"he responded.

The following morning, Lovino came in with Feliciano beside him, chattering away in quick italian.

Gilbert spoke softly. "So, Lovi, have you got an answer yet?"he asked.

Lovino looked at Gilbert and smiled faintly, quickly finishing his conversation with his brother as they joined the others. He nodded. "I'm signing up for the talent show,"he said softly. "Nonno gave me permission yesterday,"

A few soft smiles at that.

The group ended up trying to get Lovino to tell them what song he was going to do until lunch.

At lunch, Lovino finally spoke up on it. "The talent show is in a week and a half, you guys can wait until then. You'll see."he said, his eyes amused.

Francis and Gilbert exchanged glances. Ever since Antonio and Lovino got together, the italian had relaxed quite a bit and was better about showing his feelings around them.

That week and a half flew. Antonio took Lovino out on a date the day before the talent show.

They ended up spending most of that date laughing at some restruant in town.

"No, I'm serious, I have never seen someone so keen on trying to prove me wrong about something!"Antonio said, chuckling.

Lovino shook his head. "Still, you'd think they'd give up after a while."

Antonio nodded in agreement.

When they went to pay for dinner, Lovino glowered at Antonio until the spaniard let them split the cost. The person behind the register chuckled at that, but said nothing.

Antonio drove Lovino home after that and got out, walking him to the front door.

Lovino smiled faintly at that. "I had fun tonight,"he admitted as they walked up the path to the porch.

Antonio grinned. "I'm glad you did, mi amor."he responded gently. He stopped at the door and gave Lovino a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow. Remember, you need to bring a guitar with you!"

"Got it. Thank you, Toni. For everything."Lovino said softly, standing on tiptoe to give the spaniard a chaste kiss. After that he said goodbye and darted inside.

Antonio smiled in surprise, turning and heading back to his car in silence.

As soon as Lovino saw the car pull away, he smiled, leaning against the door for a moment.

Feliciano poked his head in then and grinned. "Lovi! You're home! How was your date with Toni?"he asked.

Lovino met his brother's eyes. "È stato meraviglioso."he answered. "I'm going to bed."

The following morning, Lovino got to school a bit earlier than he'd expected and the others could see his nerves as he sat down with his guitar case beside him.

Antonio gave Lovino a kind smile. "Nervous?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head at that.

Antonio chuckled. "Stubborn,"he commented. "It'll be fine,"he said.

"I hope so,"Lovino sighed.

At lunch, Lovino was a bit quieter than the group had expected. He had to split ways with the others after that to get set up.

Antonio saw the hidden panic in Lovino's eyes when they were dismissed from lunch and he paused, drawing the italian to him in a tight hug. "We'll be there for you. Don't worry. You'll do great,"he said quietly.

Lovino met Antonio's eyes when the spaniard released him.

Antonio gave a soft smile and nodded, letting Lovino head into the auditorium to get ready for the show.

The rest of the group headed to their lockers to drop their things off.

Feliciano spoke softly to the others. "I heard him rehearsing yesterday. The song isn't really his normal style. But..it fits,"he said.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "So well that I'll be ready to kill half the school by the end?"he asked.

Feliciano rolled his eyes. "No."he said. "You'll understand when he starts,"

The group was in the auditorium not long after that, taking seats front row as they promised Lovino.

Lovino showed up at the edge of the curtain on stage, watching as people came in. Then he caught sight of the others and gave them a shaky smile.

They offered soft smiles as well and Feliciano motioned for him to breathe.

Lovino did as he was told and took a deep breath and let it go before he disappeared again.

The first few people to perform seemed a bit more comfortable with themselves than Antonio had expected. When Lovino came out, he came out with his head down, Antonio's black fedora resting on his head again.

Antonio chuckled faintly at that.

Lovino met his eyes for a moment before he started playing. He smiled softly before he started singing.

"_I don't wanna be left behind, distance was a friend of mine. Catching breath in a web of lies, I've spent most of my life riding waves, playing acrobat, shadowboxing the other half, learning how to react. I've spent most of my time..catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show. Now that you know this is my life, I won't be told what's supposed to be right."_

Gilbert grinned. Now he understood what Feliciano had meant earlier. It did fit.

Lovino relaxed a good bit when he saw the grin on his friend's face. He paused his playing in the bridge.

"_You helped me see the beauty in everything. Catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show.. Now that you know this is my life, I won't be told what's supposed to be right."_

After the show, Antonio stopped Lovino from pulling the group outside and picked him up in a hug.

The elder italian laughed lightly. "What are you doing, bastard?"he asked.

Antonio put him down after that and grinned at him. "That was great."he said quietly. "What were you so worried about?"he asked.

A call of 'fag' came from someone near them and Lovino raised an eyebrow. "That. I was worried that that would happen when I was onstage. And if that happened, I would have lost my nerve,"

Antonio frowned slightly, looking at the person, who was still glaring at them with cold eyes before he turned his attention back to Lovino. "Nobody'd dare,"he murmured.

Lovino gave Antonio a look. "Yes they would. They never change. Maybe that's a good thing,"he said softly.

Antonio glanced at the others, asking them for a little privacy in silence. They backed away a bit, lettting Antonio speak quietly with Lovino. "Listen, Lovi. They'd never, because they know I would kill them for it. I don't care. I will kill over you, because you mean the world to me,"he said softly.

Lovino went to argue, but Antonio cut him off simply. He drew the small italian into a gentle kiss.

"Aw,"

That made Lovino pull out of the kiss and blush.

Matthew grinned brightly. "How cute can you two be?"he asked softly.

Lovino glowered at the canadian, but there was still a light smile showing.

Surprisingly, nobody made a comment towards them.

Antonio, who was holding his fedora again, grinned, placing the hat on the italian's head again and taking the guitar case from him. "C'mon, let's get outta here,"he said.

Nobody argued that.

After they got off school grounds, things settled into a simple routine.

Lovino smiled faintly. The day hadn't been as bad as he'd feared. In fact, it had turned out to be nearly perfect.

**The blame for the song goes to the Romano in the cosplay group at my school. Him and Italy were goofing off and they started humming that. **

**It was cute. **

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Farvel!**


	15. Chapter 15

**An: Hei!**

**Here's the new chapter.**

**To those of you who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Lovi is adorable! And Toni..well, he didn't exactly **_**threaten**_** anyone. They just know not to mess with his tomate.**

**GothicKitty1313: Those two **_**are**_** sweet. Glad you liked the chapter.**

**Nyt kapittelet!**

The following morning, the group got a few new visitors. Antonio, who had his arms wrapped tightly around Lovino, smiled brightly in greeting.

"Hello!" A happy, energetic voice sounded, startling Lovino from his conversation with his brother and making him look up at the group of five curiously.

He huffed slightly when he recognised the boy who'd spoken - Danish sophomore Mathias Køhler. He'd intervened a few times when he'd seen Mathias catching hell for being who he wanted to be.

Mathias caught sight of Lovino's curious gaze and grinned. "Romano!"he greeted.

Lovino shook his head in amusement, giving a tilted smile. "Ciao, Mathias."he returned. "Who're your friends?"

Mathias looked at the others before he smiled and started introductions.

Once that ended, Gilbert spoke. "Huh, I didn't know you knew Lovi, Mathias."he commented from where he was propped against the wall.

Mathias's smile turned sheepish. "He's helped me a few times with some of the other kids here,"he admitted.

"Oh, really?"Gilbert asked, looking at Lovino. "You mean you can actually be nice to people, Lovi?"

Lovino glowered at the prussian, flipping him off before he rolled his eyes.

Lukas gave a soft smile in amusement at that. "Anyway, we wanted to come say that it was a pleasure seeing you perform yesterday, Lovino. And to go ahead and give you all a fair warning, the others are not happy, especially with that kiss that you and Antonio shared after the show."

Lovino rolled his eyes at that. "Of course."he grumbled. "Fucking great and then it all comes crashing down."

Antonio's arms tightened around the italian. "No."he said softly. "No, it's not. They lay a hand on you, they're dead."

"Life plus twenty five or death sentence for that, you know."Lovino pointed out. "Don't bother."

Lukas gave a slight smile. "We'll see you guys around, yeah?"he said before pulling the others away. He could tell that they were going to want privacy for that conversation.

Lovino had sat up, breaking Antonio's hold on him. "Toni, I'm used to it, it doesn't matter,"

Antonio shook his head. "That does not make it right, Lovi."he said quietly.

Gilbert exchanged worried looks with his brother before he spoke. "Listen, it doesn't matter. We'll keep an eye out, okay?"he said.

Antonio nodded, curbing what could have been a bad fight.

Antonio walked Lovino to class that morning, stopping outside the door. "I know you hate that I get so protective, but..please, if something happens, send me a message or something."he said quietly.

Lovino nodded once, meeting Antonio's eyes. "I just wish you'd let me fight my own battles, Toni."he said. "I can handle myself."

Antonio gave a light smile. "I know you can. But still. I only do it because I care,"

Lovino tilted his head down again and nodded. "You should get to class,"he replied. "You'll be late otherwise,"

The italian went to turn away and go into his classroom, but Antonio caught his hand, stopping him.

Antonio spoke softly. "Please don't be mad at me."he said.

Lovino gave a faint smile. "I'm not."he said softly.

Antonio nodded, kissing Lovino once before he let go and headed to his class.

Lovino managed a soft smile and rolled his eyes, heading into his class without a word.

When Lovino showed up at lunch, he was glowering at the floor. He plopped down beside Antonio, not even bothering to fight when he was pulled into an embrace by the spaniard.

Gilbert frowned from where he was playing with Matthew's hair gently. "Something the matter?"he asked.

"Mathias caught some trouble for giving us a heads up this morning,"Lovino said softly. "I wish he wouldn't have done that. Lukas is going mental worrying about him,"

Gilbert sighed. "What happened to him?"

"Dunno. I walked in on the middle of it. Poor guy looked like hell though. He is currently sitting in the nurse's office being patched up."

Arthur joined them about then and blinked. "Mathias?"he guessed.

Lovino nodded.

"Yeah, I heard from Alfred about what happened."Arthur said. "He okay?"

Lovino huffed. "He's not been hospitaliazed."he commented.

Arthur nodded once.

Matthew looked over at Arthur. "So, have you and Alfred _talked_ yet?"he asked. "I mean, for god's sake, I've never seen him act shy, and yet he can't say a word to you."

Arthur chuckled. "Perhaps if the bloody wanker knew how to talk to people without being obnoxious he'd do better,"he commented. "He talked to me this morning on the way to school, actually."

Lovino looked at Arthur curiously then, a slight smile showing as he started eating his lunch.

Matthew motioned for Arthur to continue.

Arthur held his hands up. "He invited me to dinner tonight,"he admitted. "In a very roundabout way, but.."

Lovino laughed. "About damn time. The guy's only been crushing for two and half years now."he commented.

Throughout lunch, things relaxed. Lukas sent a message to Lovino's phone with information on Mathias, which Lovino read out to the others.

After school, Lovino got to thinking. It hadn't been too bad. Sure, he wished that Mathias hadn't put himself in harm's way, but otherwise, there wasn't much else that had gone badly.

Antonio half smiled at Lovino when he saw the thoughtful look on the italian's face. He wrapped his arms around him once again. "What are you thinking about?"

Lovino shrugged. "Just about today."he murmured, looking up to meet Antonio's eyes.

The spaniard's eyes softened quite a bit and he smiled, but said nothing.

Yeah, the day hadn't gone as expected, but it wasn't all bad either.

**..I had to include the Nordics. The two who were portrayed are probably highly ooc. **

**Oh! Also, one of the reasons that I included them is we have a Finland, finally!**

**Anywho...that's all. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Farvel!**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Hei!**

**Interesting, interesting day..**

**To those who reviewed: **

**GothicKitty1313: Another Nordic fan? Yes! Thank god! He **_**is**_**. That doesn't mean he'll actually hurt others to stand up for himself..he just seems to much of a sweetheart.**

**Spamano4ever: At least. I could actually see Denmark taking a hit to protect Lovi. It just seems like they'd be decent friends, since they both care so much, even if they show it in different ways.**

**Nauti luku!**

When Arthur came over with a bright smile showing after splitting ways with Alfred for a while, Lovino grinned. "I take it that your guys's date went well?"he asked.

Arthur went red. "..it wasn't a date.."he murmured.

"Says the boy who walked my elder brother to the front door last night after going out for dinner."Matthew butted in. "Come on, it was sweet, and it was a date."

The briton gave a tilted smile at that.

"I knew it!"

Lovino laughed lightly, leaning back into Antonio's chest to keep himself up right. Antonio was chuckling softly as well. "You guys are very cute together, mi amigo."he told Arthur.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same for you and Lovi, and Matt and Gilbert."he said.

Lovino and Matthew both turned pink and Gilbert laughed lightly, kissing Matthew's forehead while Antonio tightened his grip around Lovino's middle.

Mathias and Lukas came over and joined them right about then.

"Speaking of cute, here comes the masters of acting cute,"Lovino teased softly, giving a soft smile to the two nordics.

Mathias rolled his eyes and Lukas chuckled.

Lovino examined the damage he could see. "Just a few minor bruises. Consider yourself lucky, Mathias."he said softly. "It could have been so much worse,"

Mathias's eyes narrowed. "Why do I feel you speak from experience, Romano?"

Feliciano butted in when Lovino went to lie. "Because he does."

"Feli, damn it!"Lovino snapped.

Mathias examined Lovino before he shrugged. "Alright, then."he said, letting the topic drop.

By the time that the group broke apart for their first hour, they were all in good moods.

Come lunch, however, Lovino entered the cafeteria in a pissy mood. He sat down in silence, but when Antonio went to wrap his arms around him, he only shrugged him off.

"Lovi?"Antonio asked.

Lovino didn't respond to that, his gaze remaining firmly on the table.

Antonio frowned. "Lovino? Is everything alright, mi amor?"he asked.

When Lovino didn't answer to that, Antonio reached over, making the italian look at him. "Lovi, why are you ignoring me?"

Lovino jerked out of Antonio's grip.

Gilbert gave him an odd look. "What's with you?"he asked curiously.

Lovino glared at the prussian before he went back to watching the table top with icy eyes.

Antonio huffed. "Lovino, would you please speak to us?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head.

"Why not?"

Lovino shook his head again.

Antonio frowned again, pausing to think before he reached back over and made Lovino look at him again. "Lovi, would you at least tell me what happened to cause you to shut us out?"

Lovino gave him a look. "No."

"Why?"

Lovino huffed, shoving Antonio's hand away from him. "Because, it doesn't ever matter."

Antonio sighed. "Yes, it does. You're shutting all of us out because of whatever's happened. Just let us know what's happened."  
Lovino shook his head again.

After about five minutes of trying to get Lovino to tell him, Antonio got frustrated and snapped. "Would you please just fucking tell us why you're so damn moody this time?"

Lovino's eyes flashed in hurt at his tone. _This time,_ Lovino thought. _Never bothered you before._

The italian glared at Antonio. "Someone made some fucking snide comment about you, you fucking jerk."he said. "They knew it'd get to me and it did, so I stood up for you. I know not to do that again,"

With that, Lovino got up and snatched his things up, heading out.

Antonio got up, heading after Lovino and catching him before he left the cafeteria. He grabbed his hand and pulled him to a stop. "Lovi."he said quietly. "I didn't.."

"Didn't mean it?"Lovino asked. "That's what everyone says. I've stopped believing it,"

Antonio went to apologize, but Lovino shook his head, snatching his hand out of Antonio's grip and taking off.

"That was harsh,"Gilbert said as Antonio took his seat again.

Antonio glowered at the prussian. "Why the hell did I have to open my mouth and screw this up,"he grumbled, letting his head drop to the table.

Mathias entered the cafeteria not long after, a deep frown set on his face. He stopped by their table and spoke. "What the hell happened?"he snapped. "I just passed Romano in the halls, he looks broken,"

Antonio frowned. "I misworded,"he said quietly.

Mathias looked at Antonio for a long moment before he crossed his arms. "Well, you better fix it."he commented. "He's gone through enough bullshit without you tacking more on, Antonio."

"Where is he?"Antonio asked.

Mathias sighed. "On his way to the auditorium,"he said. "And I mean it, if he's crying because of you, you're dead to me,"

Antonio nodded, grabbing his things and taking off after Lovino.

Mathias looked at the others. "He doesn't even realize how easy it is to break Romano, does he?"

Gilbert shook his head. "I didn't have the heart to tell him. I figured Lovi'd let him know,"

"He never told us. We found out on our own,"Francis pointed out.

When Antonio entered the auditorium, it was to see Lovino sitting on the stage floor, a guitar laying in front of him, his face hidden in his hands.

The spaniard frowned, moving forward silently to sit behind Lovino and draw him into a hug. "Lo siento, cariño."he said quietly into the italian's ear.

Lovino let his hands drop, looking back at Antonio for a moment before he shook his head. "Why would you be?"he spat. "It's not like I'm not used to just being used for a good laugh,"

Antonio's heart broke at that. "No, Lovi..I would never do that. I just misworded,"he said softly. "I would never use you, because you are worth so much.."

Lovino let out a broken laugh. "I've heard that before,"he said, wiping at his eyes. "I'm not _worth_ anything. You deserve better anyway. Just go."

"I couldn't have any better than you. I wouldn't want it that way. You know why?"Antonio countered. "Because you are my everything, Lovi. _You._ No one else. I love _you."_

Lovino turned to look at Antonio in shock. Once he got over the shock, he bit back the sob that came forward. "You _love_ me?"he asked quietly.

Antonio grew Lovino closer to him. "Don't cry, please. I do love you. I would never lie to you, especially about that."

That evening after school, Gilbert gave the two a worried look. Mathias looked between them before he nodded and let go of his earlier threat. He could see the tear stains on Lovino's face, but he could also see the love in both Lovino's and Antonio's eyes. He figured they'd fixed things.

_Now if only it would stay that way for a while_, Mathias thought.

**...Gah, I'm done..**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**If you wanna see a certain pairing or event, let me know!**

**Näkemiin!**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Hola!**

**Here's the new chapter.**

**To those of you who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Thanks? I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

**Xenat25: I will indeed include SuFin. As soon as I figure out their human names and how they generally act. I shall do my research! I'm glad you liked the chapter, and thanks.**

**Guest: Indeed.**

**GothicKitty1313: Aw, Toni was only worrying about Lovi. In a very roundabout way.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

The following morning, when Lovino walked into school, he found himself the victim of an unexpected hug. "What the hell?"he yelped.

A light laugh. "Sorry, Romano."

Mathias.

"I'm just glad you and Toni made up yesterday."

Lovino sighed. "Mathias, let go of me."he snipped out.

Mathias released him. "So..you weren't too mad at Antonio, I take it?"

Lovino sighed once again and rubbed the back of his neck. "It was my own fault that we got into an argument."  
"Oh, so it was about _that_."Mathias said softly.

Lovino nodded once. "...he told me he loved me yesterday."he told the Dane.

Mathias grinned. "What! That's so sweet! What did you say?"

"I didn't."Lovino admitted. "You know how I am, Mathias. I can't say what I feel, I don't know _how_ to."

Mathias nodded. "Alright..but you never know how he'll react unless you try."he said. "And, hey, don't fight with him over something like that anymore."

Lovino nodded and headed over to the group while Mathias went to find Lukas in the crowd of people.

Antonio grinned at Lovino, pecking his lips before wrapping his arms around him and finishing up what he was saying.

Lovino gave a faint smile, concent to listen in to the conversation around him.

Antonio's smile was bright as he walked with Lovino to his class. He stopped outside and smiled faintly. "See you at lunch, Lovi."he said quietly. "Te amo."

Lovino's faint smile showed up again and nodded. "..Ti amo."he said, voice slightly uncertain.

Antonio's smile widened at that, kissing Lovino quickly before he released the italian's hand.

Lovino smiled softly at him before disappearing into class.

At lunch, Mathias and Lukas entered and joined them instead of eating in some abandoned classroom in the school like they had a habit of doing.

Lovino gave them a smile when they sat down.

Mathias grinned, but Lukas only nodded in greeting.

Lovino looked at him curiously. "Something the matter with you?"he asked.

Lukas looked over at Lovino before he half smiled. "No. Just thinking,"

"He's normally very quiet at lunch,"Mathias said softly. "You'll just have to pardon it,"

Lovino nodded, looking across the cafeteria when he heard someone yelling. He sighed, looking to Matthew. "I think your brother's causing some trouble,"he said.

Matthew looked back as well and heaved a sigh. "I'll go get him,"he mumbled, pushing himself from his seat and going to get his excitable brother.

When the canadian got back over, dragging the american behind him, he shoved Alfred to Arthur and returned to his seat.

Feliciano watched curiously as Alfred gave a sheepish smile to Matthew and sat down beside Arthur.

Nobody said anything for the longest until things started getting awkward. Then Gilbert spoke up. "Alright, what the hell is wrong with everyone today? Tempers are flying and people are so, so damn quiet."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Tempers are always flying here,"he counted. "But I guess it's because things have been so crazy recently with everything going on, and besides, it's getting close to a break."

Gilbert nodded.

Francis spoke then. "Which brings up another point: what's the plan this year?"

Lovino frowned. "It'll be kinda chilly, so..I don't know. Maybe..maybe we could find some hangout - one that does not sell alcohol, I'm not playing doctor for anyone if they get hungover this time."

"Like you did last time? You were worse than I was!"Gilbert said.

Lovino shrugged. "Nonno will be home, I'm not running risk of getting killed this break."

Antonio hesitated before he spoke. "Well...I'm sure we can all find something to do."he said softly.

Mathias tilted his head for a moment. "There's always that old community center that no one uses anymore."he offered. "You could go there!"

Lovino nodded. "Yeah, the heat and lights still work and everything. That's perfect. Thanks, Mathias. Will you guys be there as well?"

Mathias shrugged. "I'll talk to the others about it."

After school that day, Antonio snuck up behind Lovino while the italian was talking with the others and wrapped his arms tightly around him, making him faulter a bit before he continued. As soon as he finished talking, he glanced back at Antonio.

"Ciao, Toni."he greeted, smiling faintly, letting his hands rest over Antonio's out of a bit of habit.

Antonio grinned. "Hola,"he said softly, kissing the italian's nose lightly.

Lovino wrinkled his nose at that. "You are so odd,"he commented.

Gilbert shared a look with Francis. They were glad that their friends were so happy.

Francis spoke softly. "Sorry to interupt this sweet, sweet moment, but we need to get going if we're going to get to your place, Lovi."

Lovino nodded and pulled out of Antonio's embrace. Or tried to, rather. Antonio merely tightened his arms around the tiny italian with a pout.

"You have to let go,"Lovino said, looking back at the spaniard.

Antonio nodded and let go of the italian at that, instead taking his hand tightly in his, silently intertwining their fingers.

Once they all got settled at the Vargas home, Lovino smiled and relaxed. It was nice, he decided, being able to be so comfortable with people.

**Here ya go! **

**If you wanna see a certain pairing or event here, let me know!**

**Adios!**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Hei!**

**Here's a new chapter for ya!**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Lovi is cute. Even if he doesn't like it.**

**Anonymous: That helps very much! Thank you! I'm glad you like the story!**

**GothicKitty1313: Glad you liked it!**

**xXxTheGirlWhoLikesCreepyThin gs: I'm glad you enjoy it! But you seriously should do your homework..I don't want you failing because of my story! Because trust me, failing bites.**

**SilenceOfCrimsonSnow: Thanks! Sure, I'll include GreeceXJapan!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Lovino startled awake sometime around one in the morning due to a nightmare to find that someone had an arm thrown over him again. He glanced back, smiling faintly when he saw Antonio still asleep. The others had decided to crash at the Vargas brothers's home that night.

Antonio woke up when he felt Lovino's panicked breathing. "Lovi?"he whispered tiredly, rubbing his eyes and looking at the italian. "You alright?"he asked.

Lovino nodded, turning to face Antonio. "Yeah, go back to sleep,"he murmured.

Antonio kissed Lovino's cheek before laying his head back down and pulling Lovino close to him.

The italian laughed silently, letting his head rest on the spaniard's chest.

He fell asleep listening to Antonio's heart.

Gilbert woke up rather early and smiled when he saw this, getting his phone from nearby and snapping a picture before he got up for the day.

Once everyone was awake, the previously silent home was full of chatter.

Even so, it quieted a good bit when Lovino noticed his brother shaking from the chill that was very distinct in the house and headed into the hall to cut the heat up a bit. He returned and gave his brother a faint smile.  
Feliciano returned that smile and Lovino sat back down, letting Antonio pull him into a hug.

Once they'd all got up and fully ready, they ventured out. They met up with the nordic group at the old community center.

Once they all got inside, the first thing that Lovino did was go through and turn the lights on and cut the heat on to where they wouldn't freeze.

When he got back, he saw Matthew sitting down across from Gilbert, watching the elder boy in amusement as Gilbert attempted to dig through a card deck to shuffle it.

Lovino rolled his eyes. He could see the canadian's cards sitting in front of him.

The elder italian moved over to the others in silence.

Tino gave him a soft smile before returning his gaze to what was going on.

Lovino looked at Antonio. "When'd they drag the cards out?"he asked.

"As soon as you disappeared from the room,"Antonio admitted. "It was quite entertaining, the look on Gil's face, like you would appear and yell at him,"

Lovino huffed. "I was just curious."

It didn't take long for the group to settle into a calm routine. They shared a lot of joking insults. At some point, Gilbert threw a couple of his cards at Lovino, who picked them up and examined them before he laughed. "You might want these if you plan on winning. Mattie's awesome at this game, trust me."he commented, handing the prussian the cards back.

Gilbert said nothing until the game was over. He groaned. "Damn."he grumbled. "How the hell did you do that!"

Matthew laughed, quietly moving to take Gilbert's cards and start arranging them, pointing certain ones out and giving a quiet explanation.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "I need to get some new friends,"he grumbled.

Antonio wrapped his arms around Lovino with a smile. "But if you didn't have these guys as friends, it'd be pretty boring, right?"

"I'm beginning to think that wouldn't be such a bad thing."Lovino said softly.

Antonio laughed lightly at that and gave a nod. "Perhaps not, but let's not try that."

Lovino nodded once.

Mathias exchanged looks with Tino at that and he grinned knowingly. Then he raised his voice. "Oi! You two!"

Lovino jumped slightly at the sudden loudness, glowering at the Dane with a pout.

Mathias grinned. "You're adorable, but stop with the cute for now, okay?"he said

The two nodded. Gilbert spoke then, his voice slightly amused. "Alright, I get it now."he said softly.

Lovino looked over at the prussian before he spoke to Matthew. "He'll forget after the next time he goes drinking,"he said.

"Figures. You did the same when I taught you to play last year."Matthew commented.

Lovino shook his head. "Don't remind me. I was hungover for at least half of that year,"he grumbled. "Pain in the ass, that was."

Matthew laughed. "And your own fault, too!"

Antonio frowned at that. "Why on earth are you guys even drinking, anyways?"

Lovino gave a sheepish smile. "I forgot my inferiority problem if I was drunk, so I quite enjoyed it. Gil just likes to drink."

No arguments came from the prussian, so Antonio figured that it was the truth. He huffed, but said nothing.

Lovino noticed this, though, and spoke. "And I won't drink again while I'm with you,"he said softly. "At least, not until I'm over the legal drinking age."

Antonio nodded.

Things settled down quite a bit and the group ended up joking around. Antonio, who had ventured off to explore, found some guitars in one of the rooms. "These are still in good condition,"he said after examining a couple of guitars.

Lovino laughed. "Yeah, there are so many things here that still work and are in pretty decent condition. This place has been empty forever, though."he said softly.

The group headed out to eat when they got hungry, and Lovino ended up laughing quite a bit while they were out.

It was at one point like that that Antonio took a look at the others. He hadn't expected to find a group like this - great friends and an amazing boyfriend - so soon after moving. But he wouldn't change it for the world.

**And done!**

**By the way, I shall forever blame my group's Poland for this. The card game that Matthew and Gilbert are playing is Pokemon. I love Pokemon! And we got to talking about it today and ended up playing the game. **

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed. If you wanna see a certain pairing or event, let me know!**

**Farvel!**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Hi!**

**Here's a new chapter for ya!**

**To those who reviewed:**

**xXxTheGirlWhoLikesCreepyThin gs: Good. Oh my goodness, I used to have so many..and then I moved and lost all of them. One of my old friends doesn't play Pokemon anymore, they said they'd give me their collection! Freaking awesome!**

**Spamano4ever: Indeed he does and is..**

**Anywho..Enjoy!**

* * *

Once the group got back to the community center, Matthew spoke. "Hey, Lovi? Do you still have your cards?"

Lovino blinked at Matthew and nodded. "Yeah, at home, in my room like always."he replied. "Why?"

Matthew grinned. "I was wondering if you'd be up to a game when we get back to school."

Lovino smiled. "You're on. Monday, lunch. That okay?"he asked.

Matthew nodded.

Antonio blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?"he asked.

Gilbert laughed. "Man, it's better that you don't ask. Your little italian nymph will drag you in like Mattie did to me,"

Mathias looked between Matthew and Lovino, though. "Are you two sore losers?"he asked.

"Not really,"Lovino replied.

Matthew grinned. "We give each other hell for a while, but it's all in good nature."

Feliciano smiled softly. "They've done that for years. It makes them want to get better at it,"

Antonio still looked lost, so Lovino gave Matthew a look.

Matthew passed his deck of cards over to the italian, who sat down, pulling Antonio down as well. He quickly started explaining, using the canadian's deck with ease, pointing out different aspects as Matthew had done for Gilbert earlier.

As soon as Lovino finished and handed Matthew his deck back, Antonio seemed to understand more.

Even so, the rest of the weekend went quickly with Lovino brushing up on rules quickly before school on Monday.

By the time the Vargas brothers got to school, Lovino had slipped back into his old mindset.

Antonio grinned at Lovino when he sat down. "Hola!"he greeted.

Lovino smiled softly at Antonio, giving the spaniard a soft kiss before he looked at the others.

Gilbert looked at Lovino before he huffed. "And you're back to how you used to be."he grumbled.

Lovino bristled. "You never had an issue with that when it kept your sorry ass out of jail,"

"That wasn't my fault!"Gilbert countered.

Matthew laughed, remembering when Gilbert and Lovino had first become friends.

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "What?"he asked.

Matthew spoke. "Lovino's played Pokemon since we were both kids. He met Gilbert in like eighth grade and they became friends when Lovino took the blame for some destruction that happened in a classroom that had been blamed on Gilbert."he said. "Didn't even know what was going on, either."

"Nope, I was focused on the game until the teacher came up."Lovino admitted.

Antonio nodded. "Interesting way of becoming friends with someone."

The first half of the day went great for the group. The nordics ended up joining them at lunch to watch the game curiously.

As soon as everyone finished eating, Matthew and Lovino dug their card decks out.

Antonio only barely followed what was going on in the game - nobody really understood other than the two playing.

When the game ended, Matthew blinked. "What?"he asked. "You've finally managed to beat me.."

Lovino grinned faintly. "You gave me a weekend. I brushed up on a few tricks."he commented, going back to putting his deck away. "I'm game for a rematch anytime,"

Matthew smiled and shook his head. "I'll let you know."

Antonio walked Lovino back to class after that. He stopped just outside of Lovino's classroom. "You looked like you were having fun during that game."

"I was,"Lovino admitted.

Antonio smiled softly and nodded. "Good."he murmured. He gave a soft smile, drawing the smaller male into a kiss before he let go completely and gave a faint smile. "Te amo."he said softly before disappearing.

Lovino rolled his eyes and headed into class. God, his boyfriend was so weird.

That evening after school let out, Lovino hugged Antonio as he came up to the group. "Ti amo,"he said. "You never gave me a chance to reply earlier, you jerk."

"Sorry, Lovi."

Feliciano smiled at this exchange. It was so sweet!

* * *

**And there you go.**

**Hope you enjoyed! **

**Remember, if you want to see a pairing or event, let me know.**

**Ciao!**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Hey.**

**Sorry, guys. I meant to update yesterday, but I was sick all day. Anyway, here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, Lovi is having fun.. I can just see him growing up playing Pokemon.**

**Canadian Hero: I'm glad you like the story! And sure, I will be sure to do that as soon as I can get to a point where I can kinda pull them in!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

The following morning, Lovino found himself nearly being tackled in a hug.

He glanced up to see Antonio there and gave a faint smile. "Ciao, Toni."he greeted, letting the spaniard draw him into a tight hug.

It was only then that Antonio noticed the guitar resting on Lovino's lap. He raised an eyebrow. "What were you playing?"

Lovino shrugged. "Nothing, really."he murmured.

Antonio nodded and watched as Lovino went back to fixing the tuning on his guitar. As soon as he had that done, he started playing.

Matthew smiled at the song.

Lovino grinned at them before he started singing as well.

"_Don't give up, don't give in, don't let go cause you'll see in the end if you stay the course, it'll all be worth it, I promise, I promise. Keep your eyes right on me, don't look down. If you let me I'll be all the strength you need if you stick with me 'til then, it'll work out in the end."_

The group ended up joking around until they had to head to first block. Antonio walked with Lovino to his class again, swinging their interlinked hands.

By lunch, they had all settled into a normal routine again. Lovino relaxed back against Antonio as they sat at their normal table. It had been a while since the group had seen the moody italian so at ease in school.

As such, nobody really wanted to mess with him.

It was only when Alfred and Arthur sat down, in the middle of a conversation, that Lovino really started getting involved.

The american made some comment about heros. Lovino shared a look with the others before he spoke. "Not the hero talk again.."he grumbled.

Alfred frowned at Lovino. "..what?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head. "Do you even know what a real hero is?"he asked.

Alfred blinked before shrugging.

Lovino nodded and spoke softly. "A hero is someone who helps others, despite image or their own safety. Berwald is one, he's always looking after Tino and the other nordics, placing himself right in the line of fire."

Matthew nodded and spoke. "There's a quote that I've found online somewhere - a real hero is someone who gets up even when he can't. By Jared Leto, I believe."

Lovino smiled faintly and Matthew and nodded.

Alfred thought it over before he nodded in understanding.

After that, things settled back down quite a bit.

Once school was let out, the group headed to the community center to hang out.

They ended up just goofing off for the longest time before the nordic group got there.

Lovino laughed lightly as he watched the group interact.

Antonio chuckled, drawing Lovino to him again.

They both understood one thing - this group was definitely a lot like family to them.

Lovino's smile didn't fade for a while. He was content to be with the group. After all, in some way, they were all outcasts at school. They understood each other due to that.

**I know it's short! I'm sorry. I'll try to post a longer chapter soon!**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: Hola.**

**Here's a new chapter for you guys!**

**By the way, this is being written after a brief catch up in Ouran Highschool Host Club, which I still have yet to finish watching. That may influence my writing a bit.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I don't know why he's so precious, he just is!**

**GothicKitty1313: I'm glad you like it! And thanks so much! **

**Anywho, I hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

Time flew for the group up until the last week of October.

The monday before Halloween, Lovino walked in with Feliciano only to be attacked by questions as soon as they sat down with the others.

"Feli, Lovi!"Gilbert said. "Can you guys host this year's Halloween party?"

Lovino blinked tiredly at the prussian. "..what?"he asked.

Francis rolled his eyes. "It's the week before Halloween, mon ami."he said softly. "Our annual Halloween party?"

Lovino nodded in understanding. "I can't, guys. Nonno banned Feli and me from hosting the party after the last time,"he replied.

Antonio joined them then, pulling Lovino towards him.

Lovino looked back at Antonio with a light smile. "Morning,"he greeted.

Antonio smiled softly. "Buen día."he responded.

They didn't get anything figured out that morning. Antonio walked with Lovino to class, as their schedule had become.

"So, Lovi..any big plans for Halloween?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head. "It's on a Friday. We never have a Halloween party until a saturday. Mostly because after it, we sleep all day. Nonno would kill if Feli and me were gone on Saturday, because that's his day off most of the time,"

Antonio smiled softly. "Well then.."he said softly, stopping outside of the italian's class and pulling Lovino to face him. "How about you let me treat you to dinner and a movie?"

Lovino raised an eyebrow. "When have I ever allowed you to treat me to anything?"he asked softly.

"Exactly. Just this once, please?"Antonio said softly.

Lovino sighed. "Toni, you know I'd much rather pay my part.."he said. "I don't want you wasting your money on me,"

Antonio pouted. "It wouldn't be wasting money. It'd be spending it on someone I love. C'mon, Lovi, please?"

Lovino gave the spaniard a searching look before he caved, nodding. "Fine. Just this once,"he said softly.

Antonio grinned. "Thank you, Lovi!"he said brightly.

Lovino laughed lightly. "Get to class, idiota,"he said, kissing his cheek before heading into class.

At lunch, Lovino gave the others a smile as he sat down.

Silence filled the group as they ate. As soon as they all finished, though, Gilbert spoke. "Lovi, you still coming with us to the club like always?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head. "Nah,"he said.

Gilbert gave him a look. "C'mon..you've never skipped out before."

"I have other plans,"Lovino said in response. "I'm surprised you don't."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Nope, he's dragging me along with them."

"Ouch,"Lovino said, wincing sympatheticly. "First time for you, going to a club?"

Matthew nodded.

Lovino sighed. "Here's a bit of advice - don't touch the drinks and don't let Gil get too drunk. Otherwise, you'll be just fine,"  
Francis understood then. "Oh. You're ditching because of that sobriety promise you made to Toni, aren't you?"

Lovino half smiled. "That and I do have other plans."he said softly. "You know me, if I make a promise, I stand by it,"  
Antonio hid his smile against Lovino's shoulder. "I don't mind, you know,"he said, his voice slightly muffled. "You should go."

"No."Lovino said. "I'm not. If I go, I'll be too tempted to drink."

Antonio took one of Lovino's hands and moved to rest his chin on the italian's shoulder. "Alright.."

Gilbert sighed, but said nothing else about it.

Matthew spoke then. "Lovi, what exactly do you have planned?"he asked.

Lovino grinned. "Tell ya later, promise."he said, a mischievious light coming into his eyes.

Matthew nodded and let it drop.

When they started back to class, Antonio slowed on purpose so he could talk to Lovino. "So, you're hiding something. What's going on?"

"I will be at the club. Just not able to drink or anything."

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "Oh, are you going to perform? I know they said there was going to be a talent search there this week."

Lovino grinned and nodded. "Will you be there? Please?"

Antonio smiled. "I'll be backstage waiting on you."he promised.

That evening after school, Antonio came up behind Lovino while the italian was talking quietly with Matthew. He held a finger to his lips when Matthew spared him a glance. As soon as he did this, he moved fowards and wrapped his arms tightly around Lovino's waist.

Lovino yelped slightly, looking over his shoulder at Antonio, a blush spread across his cheeks. "You jerk!"he snipped, pouting at the spanaird. "What was that about?"  
Antonio frowned. "Sorry, querido."he said softly.

Lovino smiled faintly. "Whatever,"he grumbled, finishing what he was telling Matthew before turning in Antonio's grip. "You scared me."

Antonio half smiled. "My deepest apologies,"he whispered, catching the italian in a soft kiss.

Lovino pushed him away after a moment, half smiling. "You're forgiven."he said quietly. "Just don't do it again,"

Antonio nodded in agreement.

**Here ya go!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Remember, any pairings/events Or SONGS in future chapters that you'd like to see, let me know!**

**Adios!**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: Hey!**

**Here's the new chapter!**

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: Thanks again for the song rec! **

**Enjoy!**

Antonio ended up being the one to drive Lovino to the club that evening. Matthew stayed true to his word and didn't tell the others anything - Gilbert and Francis had managed to loop Mathias and Lukas in as well.

Lovino gave Antonio a grin as they stopped backstage. "Thank you for being here. Gil and Francis are gonna kill me for this later,"he said softly.

Antonio half smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world,"he replied, taking his fedora from his own head and setting it atop Lovino's messed up hair.

Lovino smiled sheepishly. "I love you,"he said softly, leaning up to steal a kiss just as someone out onstage spoke. It sounded much like the voice of the club's owner - a friend of Lovino's grandfather.

"Now, please welcome Romano, guys."

Lovino gave Antonio a look and statched the guitar setting nearby, pulling the strap over his head. "Wish me luck,"he murmured.

Antonio smiled softly as Lovino headed out.

Lovino gave a soft smirk when he saw the expression on his friends's faces. He took the mic from the owner of the club, setting it up on the stand before he spoke. "Ciao, everyone!"he greeted warmly. "This is going out to a few friends of mine who're here tonight."

Gilbert rolled his eyes at the italian's words.

Lovino gave a faint smile before he started playing.

"_..The trouble it might drag you down, if you get lost you can always be found. Just know you're not alone, cause I'm gonna make this place your home."_

Mathias exchanged a look with the others. He knew Lovino well enough to know when he was meaning something fully. That sounded like he meant it.

As soon as the small italian had finished the song, he spoke again. "Hey, guys? Don't get too drunk. You have school tomorrow morning."he said into the mic before he headed backstage again.

Lovino dropped the guitar off in it's place before Antonio grinned, wrapping his arms around him.

"They're going to kill you Lovi."

Lovino laughed. "What else is new?"he asked. "Let's get outta here before they realize I'm still here,"

However, Gilbert did manage to find them before they left. "Lovi! Why didn't you just say you were performing tonight!"he said.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Does it really matter?"he questioned.

Gilbert shrugged. "Why don't you and Toni stick around?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head. "Feli's home alone right now. Lord knows how dangerous that is,"he said. "I gotta go and Toni's the one who brought me here. It's a long walk from here to home,"

"Right."Gilbert said. "Talk to you at school?"he asked.

Lovino nodded and disappeared after that.

Antonio laughed lightly at the look on the italian's face on their drive back to the italian's home. "Lovi?"he asked softly.

"Shut up, bastard, it's not funny!"Lovino said, hiding his face in his hands. "He's never gonna let this go!"

Antonio gave him a curious look. "Oh, what's so bad about that?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head. "I slipped up. I never act..at ease in a place like that..not in a while, at least. He's going to bring that up tomorrow in front of Feli, and Feli's going to tell nonno and I'll be dead."

Antonio sighed, taking one of Lovino's hands. "Listen to me, Lovino. You'll be okay. Gil won't say a word. He's one of your best friends, he cares about you. And I promise, your nonno won't know anything by the end of the week."he said softly.

Lovino sighed and nodded, letting himself relax again.

It wasn't often that the elder italian got so frustrated and panicky like that, and it kind of scared Antonio to see his normally calm and collected boyfriend in that state so suddenly.

When he pulled to a stop in front of Lovino's home, Antonio turned to look at him. "Lovi."he said softly.

Lovino looked over at him curiously.

"If you need an escape or something, give me a call, I'll come get ya, okay? And try to relax. Feli will know something's up if you go in so tense like this."Antonio said softly.

Lovino nodded in understanding.

Antonio grinned. "Love you,"he said.

"I love you too, you stupid tomato bastard,"Lovino replied, his voice soft. He leaned over and pecked Antonio's lips once before getting out of the car and heading inside.

Antonio drove off after the italian was safely inside, heading home in silence.

The following morning, Gilbert gave a soft smile to Lovino but said nothing.  
Lovino read the signs on the prussian's face before he chuckled. "Well, I see someone's a little hungover,"he said softly. "Can I just say..I told you so?"  
Gilbert groaned. "Don't tempt me _Romano_."he spat, rubbing at his eyes.

Lovino sighed. "Just go home, Gil."he said softly.

Gilbert shook his head.

Lovino sighed. His friends were so stubborn. And that was definitely not a good thing. Not at all.

**Here ya are! I won't be able to post for the rest of today and then most of tomorrow. I'm going to stay with my blood sister and her son. Catch up, ya know?**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Any pairings/events you want to see, let me know.**


	23. Chapter 23

**AN: Hey, guys. Change of plans. I didn't get to go to my sister's. She bailed out last second. Again. As usual. -sigh;**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! I know, I went back and listened to that song and I was like...well, this fits. Thanks again.**

**Anywho. I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

"I don't need your help! Just leave me the fuck alone!"Lovino snapped.

Antonio had been trying to help him for the past ten minutes.

The day hadn't gotten off to the best start. After that morning's exchange with Gilbert, Lovino had walked off on his own before Antonio could get his bag and get up. As a result, he found himself catching the same hell as before on the way to first block.

Antonio didn't see Lovino until they were getting ready to head to lunch, and then he noticed that the italian was limping slightly. That had got him worried, so he tried to help.

Antonio backed off a bit. "I'm just worried,"he said quietly.

"Don't be."

The fact that Lovino was snapping at him like this was definitely not a good sign.

Antonio left Lovino be for the rest of the day, knowing he didn't want to be around anyone. They didn't talk.

This caught up with Lovino in his last block. When it did, he felt like a huge ass for snapping like he had at Antonio.

When Lovino made it out to the place where the group always waited for each other and Antonio wasn't there, he frowned.

They hung around for a long while after school let out, but Antonio never showed. Eventually, Feliciano finally spoke and got Lovino's attention. "He left right after school today."

Lovino nodded and walked with the others home. The moment he was inside, he headed up to his room.

Gilbert frowned at his friend's behavior. "I feel kinda bad to see this happening."he said.

Feliciano nodded. "It's not helping his abandonment issues."

Gilbert's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, what?"he asked. "Why do you two never tell us this stuff?"  
Feliciano shrugged.

The following morning, Lovino stayed home. Feliciano knew he didn't want to be around the others. He felt bad enough.

When Feliciano got to school, alone, Gilbert frowned. "Lovi not feeling well today?"

"You could say that,"Feliciano said quietly. He felt bad for his twin, knowing that he was suffering and not being able to do anything to help. "I've never seen him get so tore up about something before."

Antonio came around right about then and he frowned when he saw that Lovino wasn't there. "Where's Lovino?"he asked.

Feliciano shook his head. "At home,"he said. "He didn't feel up to facing anyone today,"

Antonio nodded. "Mind if I come by and talk with him this evening?"he asked.

Feliciano shrugged. "If he'll talk,"

_That sounded promising, _Antonio thought.

The day drug by for Antonio. As soon as he got to the Vargas brothers's home, he immediately went to Lovino's room, knocking quietly on the door. "Lovi? Can we talk?"he asked.

Lovino didn't say anything, just got up and opened the door.

Antonio nearly winced when he saw Lovino. It was clear that the italian had been crying at some point.

"Are you okay?"

Lovino stepped aside and let Antonio come in before returning to his perch on his bed.

Silence reigned before Lovino spoke softly. "I'm sorry,"he said quietly.

Antonio frowned in confusion. "What for?"he asked. "You don't have a reason to be sorry,"

Lovino met Antonio's eyes. "For snapping at you yesterday for no reason."

"Oh."Antonio said.

Silence fell again before Antonio broke it. "Listen, I should have called or something yesterday. Gil told me..I shouldn't've just left out like I did. I just thought you wouldn't want to see me,"

Lovino shrugged. "I got to thinking about it yesterday,"he admitted. "And..if that hadn't've happened, then you would've been right."

Antonio moved to sit beside Lovino and drew him into a hug.

The two didn't say anything for the longest. But they understood.

By the following morning, things were running smoothly again.

Gilbert grinned when he saw how the two were acting. They were back to normal. "Thank god, you two made up!"

Lovino flipped the prussian off with a roll of his eyes. "Jerk."

Still, things were pretty nice.

**Sorry it's so short. I just can't focus on it right now. **

**Let me know if you want to see a certain pairing or event.**


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: Hola, mi amigos/amigas!**

**I have a new chapter for you guys!**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, he did need his Toni! It's just both of them are hardheaded.**

**xXxTheGirlWhoLikesCreepyThin gs: Thank you. And hey, I have the same problem! There are so many good stories here, I get so sidetracked from my writing. And yes, I believe that does count as a pun. I shall be sure to start nagging you to focus on your writing as well!  
Hope you enjoy the new chapter!  
_**

"There is no way in hell that you guys are dragging me to do something this stupid and childish with you."

Lovino couldn't believe his brother's nerve.

The group was currently lounging in the first commons against a wall, like they always did in the mornings before they had to go to their first hour classes.

Gilbert laughed. "Oh, come on, Lovino. We're all going. Don't be such a spoil sport!"

Lovino glowered at his 'best friend'. "It's stupid."he repeated. "And it's going to be fucking freezing! Why the hell would you choose to sit outside, at night, when it's cold out?"

Antonio stepped in then, wrapping his arms tightly around Lovino. "Lovi, please? Just once? It'd be nice to see you act a bit more free,"

Lovino glanced over his shoulder at Antonio, only to meet wide, puppy-dog eyes. He sighed. "Fine. I'll go to the damn amusement park."he grumbled.

That was their plan for Halloween. Saturday, instead of meeting for a party somewhere, the group would go to the local amusement park. It was the first time they'd done something like that as a group.

Antonio smiled brightly. "Gracias, Lovi."he said quietly.

Most of the day went over smoothly. At lunch, the group ended up sharing many jokes, as usual. Lovino's phone went off in the middle of it, and he got up to answer it.

Feliciano noticed the way Lovino's smile faded and disappeared, though.

Lovino hung up, and the others knew something was wrong when the italian stood stock still for the longest, a look of shock written on his face before he pulled himself back together and rejoined them.

Feliciano spoke. "Fratello? What's going on?"he asked.

Lovino met Feliciano's eyes for the longest before he spoke. "Nothing, Feli. Go back to your conversation,"

An outright lie. Feliciano knew it too.

The younger of the brothers sighed. "Who was that?"

"No one,"Lovino said. Another lie.

Gilbert and Matthew exchanged looks before Matthew spoke softly. "Listen, Lovi..if there's something up, you need to let us know."

"It's nothing,"Lovino repeated.

Nobody called him out on his lie. They could see the hidden emotions in the italian's golden-hazel eyes.

Antonio walked Lovino back to class and he spared the italian a curious look. "Lovi? What's going on?"

Lovino snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Antonio. "Nothing, Toni."he replied quietly.

Antonio didn't question the lie. He knew Lovino didn't want to talk about it if he continued to repeat the same lie.

After school, the group headed to the Vargas home. There was a letter stuck in the door. Lovino took it from it's place and unlocked the door before he glanced at the name. He opened it in silence and unfolded the letter within it.

Feliciano looked around at the living room. Their nonno normally picked up the misplaced items when he filtered in through the day. Everything was as it had been left that morning, though. "Hm..I wonder when nonno will be home.."he said quietly.

Lovino's shoulders went down and he bit his lip, but said nothing.

Gilbert noticed this, though, and gave Lovino a pitying look. "Mein Gott, Lovi.."

Lovino met Gilbert's eyes and he shook his head softly, his eyes going to Feliciano, who was as oblivious as ever before looking back at the prussian pleadingly.

Gilbert got what he was being asked and nodded in understanding.

Feliciano looked over at Lovino. "What's the letter?"he asked.

Lovino met his brother's eyes. It took him a moment before he knew he couldn't keep it from him. He shrugged and held the letter out before disappearing upstairs. He didn't want to see his brother upset.

Feliciano took the letter and frowned at his brother's departure. He looked at the letter for a moment before he actually started reading it. He didn't get halfway through before his eyes teared up and he set the letter aside.

Lovino came back down about that time with an old, familiar blanket, which he draped around Feliciano as he took a seat with his younger brother.

The others had found seats as well and watched as Feliciano cuddled up to Lovino.

What got them was that Lovino didn't snap. Instead, he wrapped an arm around his brother.

Antonio met Lovino's eyes before he took the letter and read through it. He looked at the two sadly as he replaced the letter on the table.

Death. _It always happens, and I know it. It just hurts worse when it's someone who matters to me and Feli._ Lovino thought as he kissed the top of his brother's head as the younger italian finally broke and let the sobs overcome him.

"It'll be okay,"Lovino whispered softly. _At least..I hope it will. _

**And now I feel bad for writing this. Damn. **

**I will say, the blame for this goes to my cousin, Luke, who cosplays as Denmark in a cosplay group I got pulled into outside of school. He gave me the idea. We were discussing a cosplay video.**

**Anyway.. hope you enjoyed. If you wanna see a certain pairing/event, let me know. **

**Adios.**


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Hei. **

**New chapter!**

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: Indeed...**

**Hope you enjoy.**

The group stayed with Feliciano and Lovino that night. Lovino's tears never fell, but Feliciano's did until he fell asleep. Lovino carefully got up and laid Feliciano down on the couch before he disappeared into the kitchen.

Matthew got up to go help him in silence.

Gilbert sighed. "Man...I can't imagine this is easy on them."he said quietly.

Francis shook his head. "And one thing's for certain."he said softly. "Lovi's definitely not going to be acting like a kid anymore. He hardly did as it was. But now, he _has_ to look after Feli, in his mind."

Gilbert glanced at the younger italian, who was peaceful despite the crying he'd done before he fell asleep.

Antonio kept quiet, only because he knew if he tried to speak and offer comfort to either of the brothers he would end up saying the wrong thing.

Matthew came back out not long after and shook his head at the questioning looks on the others's faces. "He's refusing help,"he murmured, taking his seat again.

Nearly an hour later, Lovino came back and spoke softly. "Dinner's done,"he said before moving to wake his brother up. He kneeled by the couch and ran a hand through his brother's already messy hair. "Fratello, wake up."

Feliciano stirred a bit and looked up at his brother for a moment before he sighed and pushed himself up.

"Food's done,"Lovino said, getting back up and disappearing into the kitchen again.

Feliciano hesitated for a moment before he got up.

Dinner that night was quiet, even with so many people there.

Once it passed and everything was cleaned up again, they all went back to the living room to sit. Feliciano had disappeared to get an old drawing pad and some pencils and was curled up against his brother's side as Lovino watched him draw in silence.

The others spoke quietly about trival matters, giving the brothers some 'alone time'.

After a while, Lovino cracked a small half smile. "I don't get why you have such a fascination with angels, Feli."he said quietly.

Feliciano glanced back at his brother before he shrugged.

Matthew spoke softly. "May I see?"he asked.

Feliciano passed the book over to Matthew with a shrug.

Matthew flipped through, smiling faintly at some of the pictures. He paused at one.

Feliciano half smiled at the surprised look on Matthew's face. "That one's Lovi's fault. He gave me the idea,"he said softly. "He's so moody all the time, and I got to thinking..it kinda makes him resemble that of a dark angel, right?"

Matthew nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I suppose so. Just without wings,"

Lovino flipped the canadian off when he glanced at Lovino.

Matthew handed the book back and Feliciano went back to work on the picture he was drawing.

Lovino let him be and instead joined in the conversations around him.

After Feliciano finished the picture, he pulled at Lovino's shirt sleeve.

Lovino looked at his brother curiously and smiled faintly when he held the picture up for him to examine. "It's nice, Feli."he said softly.

Feliciano brightened a bit as he set the sketch pad down.

Lovino sighed quietly and finished his previous conversation.

"Are you two still going to the amusement park?"Gilbert asked after a while.

Lovino looked at Feliciano. "You want to?"he asked quietly.

Feliciano nodded once. "Si."he said softly.

Lovino nodded in understanding and looked over at Gilbert.

Francis spoke. "You know that if you two ever need help or anything, just give us a call, right?"

"We know, Francis."Lovino said softly. "Thanks. But I think we'll be alright without your help."

"Just keep it in mind."

The following morning, the Vargas boys were nearly inseperable. It was hard to watch Feliciano be so dependent on his brother, because he hardly smiled that morning.

Lovino hated seeing the frown on his brother's face and when he shared a look with Antonio, the spaniard stole Lovino's bag and let him pick his brother up on the way to school.

Feliciano's breath caught in surprise as he found himself on his brother's back, but he immediately wrapped his arms around Lovino's neck so he wouldn't fall. "What are you doing, Lovi?"he asked.

"I can't stand seeing you upset, you idiot."Lovino said, glancing up at him. "I figured..It wouldn't hurt to lay down my space issues to try to make you smile again,"

Feliciano wrinkled his nose slightly, but did give a small smile. "Grazie."he said softly.

Lovino smiled faintly as well, just glad his brother was a bit happier.

**Here ya go. Hope you enjoyed. **

**Farvel!**


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: Ciao!**

**Here's a new chappy for ya! **

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: Most likely because I started by basing him off the Lovi in the cosplay group at school and it kinda evolved from there.**

**Xenat25: Toni will indeed try to help Lovi. But, let's face it, with Lovi..he's so stubborn! **

**xXxTheGirlWhoLikesCreepyThin gs: I'm sorry! I'm glad you like it though. And, again, thanks.**

**Anyway..here ya go.  
_**

Lovino set Feliciano down when they got to school, keeping a close eye on him.

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Lovi, for god's sakes, he can stand on his own feet. Relax a bit!"

Lovino glowered at his 'best friend' but said nothing. Instead, he took his bookbag back from Antonio, who gave him a kind smile.

Feliciano had a small smile showing as he grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him along.

Gilbert laughed when Lovino stumbled a bit.

Francis smiled faintly. "Well, here's one thing that's for sure. Feli isn't going to let Lovi change too much."

Antonio walked with Lovino to class again when they all seperated. He stopped outside of the italian's class and met his eyes. "Hey, listen..don't shut us all out, alright? I know..we've probably become really hard to deal with, but I promise, we only do it because we care."

Lovino sighed. "I know."he said softly. "But, I also know that Feli and me..we'll be okay. We don't need help, and if we do, trust me one of us will ask for it."

Antonio smiled softly. "Just making sure you knew,"he said.

Lovino nodded. "Get to class,"he murmured, "I love you."

Antonio grinned. "Love you too,"he said, kissing the italian softly before he headed to his own class.

Lovino headed into class, a faint smile still showing.

At lunch, Antonio came up behind Lovino after the italian was seated and ruffled his hair gently before taking a seat. Lovino glanced over at him and gave him a small smile.

Antonio grinned, looking at the others. "So, any plans for today after school?"he asked.

Gilbert shrugged. "Ludwig and me are going to drive Lovi and Feli to the funeral home to get everything worked out, but otherwise, nothing. We could all hang out at my place, though."

The others agreed to it.

Lovino noticed that Feliciano had his sketch pad out again and raised an eyebrow. "What are you drawing this time?"he asked his brother.

Feliciano looked up for a moment before he passed the sketch pad to Lovino.

Lovino examined the picture before he half smiled and passed it back in silence, letting Feliciano go back to drawing.

The rest of the day passed without a hitch. The others headed to The Beilschmidt home while Gilbert and Ludwig took the Vargas brothers to the funeral home.

As soon as they got back, the group ended up hanging out outside near the pool. Lovino was careful to say away from it, knowing that Gilbert and Francis were still seeking revenge on him from last time they ended up in the pool.

Antonio, however, ended up dragging the italian closer with him.

Lovino wasn't too keen on the idea of being near a pool, not with Gilbert and Francis around him, but he said nothing.

At least, not until Antonio lost his balance, sending both of them into the water.

Lovino sputtered when he reached the surface again, glaring at Antonio, who was laughing. "Idiota! What the hell?!"

Antonio laughed lightly. "Sorry, Lovi. I didn't mean to!"  
Lovino glowered, but moved to the edge of the pool, pulling himself out of the water.

Ludwig had disappeared when the two hit the water, heading inside to get a couple of towels. He had returned at that point and tossed Lovino a towel.

"Grazie."Lovino said.

Antonio climbed out and Ludwig passed him a towel as well.

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Alright, you two. Inside, before you can end up sick."

Lovino had no problems with that idea.

Everyone ended up inside.

The chatter that filled the room lasted for a while until everyone had to leave for the day.

But it had been nice. Exhausting but nice.

**Here ya go. **

**Hope you enjoyed.**


	27. Chapter 27

**AN: Hey. **

**Sorry it took so long for me to update. I've just been busting my butt to get an art project done. It didn't happen. I give up on it, and I shall never ever do another grid portrait again! I swear it! On another note, I would've had this done and uploaded yesterday, but an old friend, a packmate of mine, came over and I spent the day with her since I never get to see her anymore. Once again, I'm sorry for the lack of updates.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Indeed, it is. **

**xXxTheGirlWhoLikesCreepyThin gs: It is sweet. Although..this story is the first I've done sweet when I wasn't sick or something. **

**Hope you enjoy, guys!  
_**

The following morning, while the group was still standing around outside of the school building, Antonio arrived and snuck up behind Lovino, easily picking him up.

The italian squeeled in surprise, squirming and making Antonio set him down. He turned to look at Antonio with wide eyes. "What the hell do you think you're doing, bastard?"he snapped.

"Surprising you so I could give you this without you turning around to hit me,"Antonio answered, pulling a jacket out of his bookbag and placing it around Lovino's shoulders. "Feli sent me a text this morning saying you ran out and forgot yours at home,"

Lovino turned slightly pink, but smiled faintly anyways. "Thanks,"he murmured, leaning up to steal a kiss from the spaniard.

"Oh, well this is discustingly cute,"

Lovino knew that accent. He glanced over curiously. Feliciano, however, grinned and greeted the male with a hug.

Vash. Of course. It'd been years since the brothers had heard from him, but they'd been close to him before, after their nonno took them in.

The swiss male patted the younger of the brother's on the back, but gave no smile. "I heard about your nonno, boys."

Lovino shot Feliciano a look. The younger had deflated a bit. Ludwig immediately set to distracting the younger. Vash noticed his blunder and nodded. He moved to speak with Lovino while Ludwig was caring for Feliciano.

"How are you two holding up?"

Lovino glowered. "Oh, you care?"he asked. He was beginning to get agitated with the other male. He'd already messed up and upset Feliciano by saying something without thinking it through. "We're fine. Better than you'd think."

Vash nodded. "I just...Rodrich told me, and...I figured I'd come see how you two were coping. I never expected to walk up and see...well, you being comfortable around anyone."

"I get it."Lovino snapped. "You've checked up, now please leave."

Vash didn't wait to be asked again. He headed out and let Lovino relax again.

Antonio raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Lovino looked over at his brother to see that he was back to his cheerful self and let it drop.

The exchange that morning had kind of killed Lovino's good mood for a while, until Antonio made sure that he was smiling before entering his first period class. The spaniard had kept their normal tradition of walking Lovino to class and had stopped outside like every other morning, but this morning he spoke softly, not just the normal 'I love you, see you at lunch' stuff.

"By the way, Lovi..Happy Halloween."Antonio said softly. "I forgot to tell you this morning. Are we still on for our date?"

Lovino gave a soft smile. "Of course. Happy Halloween, you bastard,"he murmured.

Antonio grinned brightly. "Just think, after today, you don't have to deal with people for a whole weekend, and we all get to spend tomorrow at the amusement park. It'll be fun. Smile, okay? Forget everyone else, just for today."

Lovino returned Antonio's grin at that point. "You need to get to class."he replied. "But..thanks."

Antonio smiled at Lovino and shrugged. "I love you,"he said softly.

"I love you too, now get lost,"Lovino countered.

Antonio gave him a searching look before he stole a kiss and disappeared.

Their normal.

Lovino was still smiling when lunch came around, so Antonio figured it had been a pretty good day so far.

"Speak of the devil.."Gilbert said as Lovino joined them at the table. "We were just wondering if you and Toni are joining us for a little Halloween fun after your date."

Lovino raised an eyebrow. "Like what? Trick-or-treating?"he asked sarcastically.

Gilbert's smile turned mischievious. "More like just tricking."he countered. "Come on, Lovi. Can't we have one day where we can scare the piss out of little kids and have a good laugh? Everyone else has already agreed to it."

Lovino looked over at Antonio for a moment before he met Gilbert's eyes again and he nodded. "It'll be fun,"he said softly.

Feliciano tilted his head. "Will you dress up with the rest of us?"he asked. "Let loose and be a kid for a change?"

"Depends. What the hell do you guys expect me to dress up as?"Lovino asked. "Because I'm not going looking for a costume this evening."

Antonio met Feliciano's eyes for a moment before he spoke up. "How about a Fallen angel? You have the attitude and looks for it. And we could easily make you a costume from something in your own wardrobe."he said softly, wrapping his arms around Lovino.

Lovino looked at Antonio before his eyes went to Feliciano, who was giving him puppy eyes. "Fine."he said softly. "But if any of you bring it up after this..."

A few laughs and promises from the group.

That evening after school, Feliciano grinned brightly as he led the others to the Vargas home. Antonio and Lovino were trailing behind, talking softly.

Feliciano was quick about unlocking the door and letting everyone inside.

The others knew where their 'costumes' were in their own homes and had voted to stay with the Vargas brothers until closer to time to get ready for their night of fun.

Lovino, however, had no idea what he was supposed to be wearing. Antonio, Gilbert and Feliciano ended up being the ones to drag the elder italian into his room to dig through his closet and see what they could turn into a costume.

Feliciano was talking in rapid italian about something, but Lovino was giving him an odd look. After a while, he interupted. "Feli, no."he said. "I agreed to dress up, not go all out."

Gilbert looked back at Lovino. "You're going all out."

Feliciano grinned happily at Gilbert before he pulled his brother from the room.

Matthew laughed when he saw Lovino's expression, getting up to go and help so that the others didn't get killed.

He sat with Lovino on the elder boy's bed as they watched the others talk quickly about things concerning the costume they were trying to put together.

Antonio paused after a while and smiled at Lovino. "You know, it's not going to be bad. I'm dressing up too. We're all going all out,"

Lovino huffed. "I know, I know."he grumbled.

It didn't take them long after that to get everything together.

Everyone was shooed out of Lovino's room by the elder italian so he could get changed, knowing that Antonio was going to make him wear the costume on their date like he was doing so they didn't have to waste time changing later before meeting up with the others.

Feliciano laughed lightly when his brother came out of the room in costume, scowling.

"I hate this."

Matthew looked back at Lovino before he smiled and looked to Feliciano. "You were right, he is the perfect Fallen angel."

Antonio smiled faintly when he looked up to see Lovino standing there with a deep frown showing. Since Feliciano had talked him into actually going all out, the elder italian was dressed in tattered black skinny jeans with two shirts on - a black wife beater with ragged shadowy wings attached with a ripped and torn dark gray tee over it. He smiled. "It looks good, Lovi."he said softly.

Lovino huffed, moving to sit with the others.

The others filtered in and out of the room until Antonio disappeared for a while to go get changed as well. When he came back it was seen that Lovino and him would be completely polar opposites that night. Gilbert and Francis had managed to talk him into being something much similar to a ghost or angel, only a bit less open and heard about.

Lovino half smiled at Antonio, who was flicking at some chains hanging from his belt as he took a seat again.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "You two are going to get some odd looks wherever you guys are going."

"Oh well."Antonio said, carefully wrapping his arms around Lovino, who finally smiled again.

The two left soon after that and Antonio filled the car with chatter as he drove. It wasn't often that they went out like this, but they enjoyed it when they did.

The waiter gave them an odd look for a moment when he first saw them before he smiled. "Plans with some friends later?"he asked softly.

The two gave him a polite nod.

"Well, no offense, but whoever chose what you two dressed up as...it fits from what I can tell." It was a quiet statement before they ordered, but it did help set Lovino at ease. Some of the adults in the restruant were giving them odd looks, but it didn't matter.

"Have I ever told you that Halloween is my favorite holiday?"Lovino asked.

"No, you haven't."

The two had finished with their dinner and Antonio had paid, with Lovino scowling the entire time, and were now sitting out on the hood of the car for a bit. They'd decided against the movie, on Lovino's insistance. Instead, they'd went to the park and were currently watching the stars.

Lovino smiled. "It is."he said softly. "Because it's the one time of year that you can be whatever you want to be and nobody can tell you otherwise."

Antonio smiled. "That does sound nice,"he said quietly. He watched Lovino scan the sky for familiar constellations for a while before he spoke. "You know...the reason that we were so keen on you dressing up and going all out like this is because we know you never act like a kid. Besides, the Fallen angel thing fits you."

"I'm no angel. Of any kind."Lovino responded.

Antonio grinned. "I don't know, you seem pretty angelic."he said softly.

Lovino looked at him for a moment. "Maybe to people who don't know me well. But I'm not an angel. Closer to a demon."

Antonio chuckled. "Couldn't prove it by me,"he said softly.

Lovino half smiled at that. He didn't bother to reply, instead deciding to silence the spaniard the best way he could - by kissing him.

When Lovino pulled away, Antonio half smiled. "I really do love you."he whispered.

Lovino smiled softly. "Love you too. Now let's go. Before the others come looking,"

Antonio nodded and got off the hood of the car, pulling Lovino down with him carefully.

It didn't take them long to find the others and join in their festivities. A few minor pranks on some people were played, but they were all very gracious about it.

Quite a few kids saw Lovino in the distance with Antonio and seemed a bit more hesitant to go that way, even if they needed to. Antonio looked over at one point and saw a young six year old standing there and he motioned for her to come on, that they wouldn't hurt her.

The young girl did approach them, but stopped near Lovino, looking at him with wide eyes.

Antonio nudged Lovino to get his attention away from the starry sky again. Lovino blinked at him before he noticed the young girl and tilted his head. He chuckled when the young girl only felt of his wings before taking off.

"See, it's not so bad,"Antonio told Lovino. "A lot of people don't like believing in angels because they've never seen one. You get to help make them believe, if only for tonight."

Lovino gave a faint smile. "I'm not an angel."he countered, once again. "Especially not the kind people need to believe in."

Antonio rolled his eyes, pulling Lovino to him and into a kiss. After a while, he broke it and let his forehead rest against the italian's. "Stop saying that. You _are_ an angel. You're _my_ angel."he said, meeting Lovino's golden hazel eyes.

Lovino smiled faintly. "You are so weird."

"But you love me for it,"

"Yeah."Lovino said quietly. "Yeah, I do."

**Well...this didn't end how I expected it to. I hope you enjoyed it, anyways!**


	28. Chapter 28

**AN:**

**Hi again.**

**Currently writing this while I should be asleep.**

**I can't sleep. I've tried. So I'm writing. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: He would be a beautiful angel.**

**Hope you enjoy.  
_**

"No! You don't even fucking _care_! So just stop...stop pretending like you do."

Those words had been echoing in Antonio's mind all night. He lost sleep due to them. Lovino and him had gotten into a really bad falling out sometime before they headed to the Vargas home for a while after their night of 'fun'. All Antonio could see, think about, was Lovino standing in the dark, outlined by an almost full moon, yelling at him. The black angel wings made the image much more powerful when the tears started falling.

_How do things always go from amazing to a complete wreck like this?_ Antonio mused. He was currently sitting on the front porch steps of the Vargas home. It was close to two in the morning, but he and the others had yet to leave. Lovino had locked himself in his room.

Feliciano came outside not long after to see if he wanted to come in.

No.

Still, Feliciano left the front door open for him, just in case.

Mathias glanced over his shoulder at Antonio before he spoke to the others. "I've never seen him so broken before,"

And Antonio did seem broken. Even the bright white colour of his outfit was dim.

Antonio ignored them. His mind was going back and forth between the memories from the night.

_Lovino smiled softly at him in the moonlight. They had ventured off again, away from the group and the lights from porches. Lovino was checking to see if he was paying attention. The italian had spent the last ten minutes pointing out different stars and constellations to the spaniard. _

_Antonio's reaction to this smile was to give Lovino a soft kiss and whisper a soft, "Te amo."_

Antonio sighed. Things had been so perfect.

And now..now Lovino probably hated him.

Feliciano told him after Lovino had fled inside that he'd never seen Lovino cry before. Lovino never cried in front of anyone. Always acted so strong.

When Antonio heard that, he felt like a complete dick. He'd made Lovino cry. In front of him. In front of everyone. He'd hurt him, his angel.

After a while longer of thought, he got up and went inside, going straight to Lovino's door. He knocked gently.

Lovino opened the door, still in costume. Still crying. "What do you want?"he snapped.

"Can we please talk?"Antonio asked, his tone pleading.

Lovino nodded and followed Antonio out into the yard.

As soon as they were seated on the grass, Antonio spoke. "Lovi..I'm so so sorry."he said softly. "I never meant to hurt you."

Lovino shrugged, wiping at his eyes in a vain attempt to stop the tears from falling. "Not the first time someone has."

Antonio shook his head. "I know. But..I made you cry, and I really..I really am sorry."

Lovino gave Antonio a searching look, reading what he wasn't saying from his expression. He let out a shaky breath and allowed Antonio to pull him into a comforting hug.

When the italian pulled away, Antonio gently wiped the tears off his face, kissing both his cheeks before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips and pulling back again. "I mean it. I'm sorry that I hurt you, mi ángel."he said quietly.

Lovino gave a short laugh. "You're never letting the angel idea go, are you?"

"No."Antonio said with a soft smile. "Because you are an angel. My angel."

Lovino chuckled at the repeat of words from earlier. "I guess my costume is correct then. If I'm any sort of angel, I'm a Fallen."

Antonio gave a soft smile. "I love you, you know that?"

"'Course I know that. Otherwise I wouldn't put up with your bullshit."Lovino teased. "I love you too."

That was good enough for Antonio.

The following morning, the group met at the Vargas home again.

Feliciano had talked him into wearing the angel wings again that day, because they truly did fit him well.

Antonio smiled at him when he saw the wings.

_Today's going to be fun,_ Lovino decided. _I might scare a few people at the amusement park, but it'll be fun._

**Sorry it's short. This is just a filler chapter, really. **

**But I have to get at least an hour of sleep before school or I'll end up killing someone or something. **

**Night.**


	29. Chapter 29

**AN: Hola!**

**Here's another chappy for ya. Been a long day, and after this I believe I'm going to go to sleep to get some rest finally.**

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: Yeah. Toni's not just going to let Lovi suffer through anything.**

**Anywho, hope you enjoy.**

"So, Feli talked you into wearing the wings again, did he?"Antonio asked as they sat on the front porch while everyone else talked for a while.

Lovino nodded once. "I'm kinda worried he's going to attach them to my back soon with how he's acting."he said. "But, if it'll make him happy, I'll wear the damned wings."

Antonio smiled softly. "They fit you,"he said softly. "And it's very sweet of you to do that for your brother, Lovi."

Lovino shrugged.

Antonio draped an arm over his shoulders, letting the italian rest his head against his own shoulder.

Lovino sighed, finally relaxing again. There was just something comforting about being so close to Antonio like this.

Antonio smiled faintly, glad that Lovino was so at ease with him.

"Alright, let's get going!"Gilbert said from behind them.

Lovino glanced back before he got up, pulling Antonio up as well.

The ride to the amusement park was quiet, Lovino was messing with his 'wings' in silence, trying to keep them as hidden as possible.

Antonio laughed lightly when he noticed. As soon as they were parked and out of the car, he took pity on Lovino and carefully fixed the wings so they weren't as easily noticeable.

"Grazie."Lovino said softly, smiling at Antonio, who kissed his cheek and took his hand, leading him to meet up with the others.

Their morning was full of laughter and jokes between rides.

Around lunch time, they settled down a bit to eat. The day had been pretty amazing so far.

The rest of their day flew by. But it was nice.

The group stayed with the Vargas brothers that night, deciding that the brothers didn't need to stay at home alone.

As such, they ended up staying up pretty late just talking.

Matthew was the first one to fall asleep, using Gilbert's shoulder as a pillow.

Gilbert noticed this and smiled faintly.

It had taken ages to get the canadian to be alright with the physical contact, since he was typically more of a loner, like Lovino was.

Lovino woke up at seven the following morning due to a nightmare to notice that Antonio was once again using him as a teddy bear. He smiled faintly, settling back down to sleep.

The next time Lovino woke up, it was to Antonio shifting as well. He sat up and blinked tiredly for a moment.  
Antonio chuckled, pulling Lovino back down. "Just relax, Lovi."he said quietly. "It won't kill you to just stop and relax for a bit, you know."

Lovino smiled faintly and nodded, letting his head rest against Antonio's chest gently.

Antonio kept his arms wrapped comfortably around the smaller male.

The group's morning was quiet and very calm. It was only at lunch, after everyone had left and got changed and everything and came back again, that things got more active.

Lovino was trying to speak with Matthew while they were outside, them having not been able to talk much as of recently, when Antonio came up and wrapped his arms around Lovino from behind.

Matthew smiled softly. "It's amazing..you two were fighting not even two days ago and now you act as if you've never had problems."he commented. "It's adorable."

Lovino huffed, scowling at his friend for the comment, but he smiled faintly when Antonio kissed his cheek and spoke. "It's hard to continue fighting with Lovi, so it's actually quite easy to work past."

Matthew nodded once in understanding. A crash sounded from inside the house where Gilbert was collecting snacks and he sighed. "Now I have to go get my boyfriend before he manages to get himself killed,"he said, heading inside.  
"Good luck!"Lovino called after him.

Matthew waved a hand back to let Lovino know he heard before he disappeared again.

Lovino pulled out of Antonio's grip and turned to look at him. "I was trying to have a serious conversation, thank you."he said with a pout, crossing his arms.

"I just wanted to surprise you!"Antonio said brightly.

Lovino gave a faint smile and pecked Antonio's lips once before rolling his eyes. "You're such an idiota."he murmured.

Antonio frowned slightly, pulling Lovino back into his arms. "You still love me, though, right?"he asked.

What got Lovino was that the question was sincerely concerned.

"Of course,"

Antonio nodded once.

Lovino didn't ask what had made Antonio ask such a question, he had the distinct feeling he didn't want to know.

**Sorry it's so short. I just couldn't really write much with this right now. **

**Farvel.**


	30. Chapter 30

**AN:  
Hallå**

**Here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: I promise, Toni has his reasons for doubting Lovi like that, and those reasons will come out soon!**

**Anywho, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

The others headed outside to see Lovino saying something to Antonio with a frown.

Francis caught Antonio's question and he frowned as well.

"What's going on with them?"Gilbert asked quietly.

Francis didn't look away from the couple in front of them. "'Tonio's doubting,"he whispered. "Lovi's probably having a fit in his mind about it,"

Gilbert nodded once.

Francis didn't relax until Lovino smiled faintly at the spaniard again. That let him know that they'd talked things through and were back to normal. As such, he led the others over to sit with the couple in the grass.

Lovino glanced at them before he half smiled.

Once everyone was seated, Lovino spoke. "Gil, you wouldn't happen to have a marker with you, would you?"he asked, knowing the prussian normally had a sharpie with him.

And, true to form, Gilbert got a red sharpie out, tossing it to the italian.

Lovino caught it and took hold of Antonio's left hand, writing something on his palm before he flipped the spaniard's hand over and drew a heart on the back of his hand. After that, he handed the marker back to Gilbert.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. But Lovino wasn't going to say anything. It wasn't their business - it was between him and Antonio, and them alone.

Antonio and Lovino ended up going for a walk to spend some time together and let the others get themselves back together again after them being so scattered that morning.

Lovino gave a soft smile as he took hold of Antonio's hand, bringing it up so he could kiss the back of his hand. "I never thought you to be the insecure type, Toni."he said quietly after they got a good distance away.

Antonio shrugged. "I'm normally not. It's just..I really love you, and I just worry sometimes,"he replied softly.

Lovino gave him a faint smile. "I get it."he said softly. "But..I'm here to stay."

Antonio looked over at Lovino. "Really?"he asked softly, eyes bright.

Lovino nodded. "Of course,"

Antonio pulled them both to a stop on the sidewalk. He met Lovino's eyes for a moment, deeming him truthful, and smiled faintly before pulling the italian into a kiss.

It was softer than the others they'd shared, more timid seeming.

Lovino smiled against Antonio's lips before he pulled back. "Ti son resa. Sempre."he said quietly.

Antonio smiled softly. He didn't have to say anything. Lovino knew that statement was returned when he saw the love in his boyfriend's eyes.

"So.."Antonio said, breaking the silence a while later. "I heard Mathias and Gilbert talking sometime last night after you'd fallen asleep. Apparently, Tino and Berwald got together."

"..really?"Lovino asked, blinking in surprise. "I always got the distinct feeling that Tino was afraid of Berwald,"

Antonio nodded. "Yeah, after seeing how they act around each other.."he said with a slight frown, but then he grinned. "But I think it's because Berwald never shows his feelings."

Lovino thought this over for a moment before he nodded. "We'll see. But Mathias, I know, will kill over Tino, so he's probably keeping an eye out. They're like brothers, always have been."

That conversation lasted them a good bit of time.

That Monday, Lovino smiled faintly when he saw Berwald and Tino. It seemed the Finnish boy was still slightly uncertain around Berwald, but he wasn't as jumpy.

Berwald wasn't showing any emotion, as was normal, but the look he got in his eyes when someone who used to bug Tino came near them made Lovino feel certain that this was a good thing.

The new couple ended up leaving the grouping early that morning. Francis grinned. "Well, we know one thing for sure. Nobody's getting close enough to hurt Tino again."he commented.

Lovino nodded once.

Things settled a bit that morning. Vash saw the group and offered a wave, but didn't move from where he was standing talking with Roderich.

It was only that morning that Lovino seemed to realize that there were so many people who were always hanging around. A lot of them tried to keep the group out of trouble with some of the jocks by offering a distraction that came in the form of the constant chatter, a distracting thing that anyone could fall victim to.

Antonio pulled Lovino out of his thoughts by ruffling his hair, careful to avoid his curl as he did so.

And it just so happened that, since Feliciano wasn't in the best mood that morning, that Lovino had decided to let his brother talk him into wearing the wings again, which were once again folded nicely, hidden under a loose, but torn tee shirt.

The group had seen the wings, but nobody had questioned, not even Tino and Berwald, who hadn't been keyed in on the running joke with the group yet.

Antonio smiled faintly and kissed Lovino's cheek lightly, pulling the italian back to where he was resting his back against Antonio's chest.

Nobody said anything about it. In fact, Mathias and Lukas were doing the same thing nearby, talking in hushed whispers.  
For the first time inside the school building, Lovino felt safe.

**So. There you go. Hope you enjoyed it. **

**Adjö.**


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: Hei.**

**Here's a new chapter for you guys. Then it's time for bed. **

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: SuFin is actually the first side pairing I was entirely comfortable with. They **_**are**_** cute, and how they act is easily tied to how people treat them and those they care about. And as for Feli and what's wrong with him..even the happiest people get down and out sometimes. Don't worry, Lovi and the others will be there to help out until he cheers up again!**

**Katie-Kat1129: Norge is perfectly okay. Besides, Denmark isn't being too bad. He's relatively calm, so Norge is probably just rewarding him for being calm for a change. You'll see, I promise!  
Hope you enjoy!**

At lunch, Feliciano still wasn't smiling and acting like himself. Actually, he had his music in, focused on that.

Ludwig sighed when Lovino gave his brother a worried look. "He hasn't spoken all day.."he said softly. "None of his teachers could get him to even look at them."he said quietly.

Lovino sighed and got up, moving to grab his brother's hand and pull him up and away from the others. He also confiscated his brother's music so that he could speak with him.

Antonio frowned slightly. "What do you guys think is going on?"

"Don't know."Matthew said softly. "But Lovi's tried everything he could think of this morning to try to get Feliciano to crack a smile. The closest that Feli came to smiling was when he noticed that Lovino had on the angel wings again this morning."

Tino tilted his head from his seat. "Why does he wear those, anyways?"

Antonio spoke. "We talked him into dressing up on Halloween, and Feli had the idea of getting him to dress up as a Fallen angel. So, Feli talked him into wearing the wings. It just fit him, and Feli was so happy that Lovi went along with it.. Lovi'll do anything to keep his brother happy. Even if it means wearing angel wings to school,"he said softly.

"Feli loved it, because Lovi reminds him so much of a dark angel,"Gilbert said softly. "So Lovi indulges him,"

Tino looked over at the Vargas brothers, only to see that Lovino was holding onto his brother's hand and looking at him pleadingly, speaking quickly. "Do any of you know what's wrong?"

Matthew's eyes widened. "Wait, today's..the funeral."

Antonio frowned. "Then why are they even here today? They shouldn't be. They should be allowed to stay home,"

Sweden's eyes were locked on the brothers, watching their interaction. It was clear that Feliciano was masking his emotions in front of everyone else. Lovino was okay, it seemed, but he had a reason to hold himself together. "S' t'ke th'm h'm',"he said, looking at Antonio.

Antonio looked over at Sweden before he looked back at the Vargas twins and nodded.

Lovino led his brother back not long after that.

Antonio checked his watch before he looked at the two brothers. "You two feel up to staying the rest of the day, or are you wanting to go home?"  
Feliciano looked up at the spaniard for a moment before he sighed and spoke. "I'm staying,"he said softly.

Lukas gave the younger italian a searching look, taking over from Antonio before he said something without thinking. "Well, just let one of us know if you want to leave,"he said calmly.

Mathias grinned at Feliciano, pulling him into a conversation about something that happened on Halloween to distract him. Lovino smiled thankfully when Feliciano managed a faint smile at the conversation.

Lukas gave his boyfriend a surprised look before looking at Lovino. "I never knew he could act like this.."he said quietly.

"What, clinicly insane or selfless?"Lovino asked, snickering slightly.

Lukas paused for a moment, as if in thought before he answered. "Selfless."he replied.

Mathias was pouting at the two, but Feliciano was laughing, so nobody said anything. No fights. No hard feelings. Just a pout and a few laughs and moving on.

Not for the first time in his life, Lovino was glad that Feli and him were friends with people who liked making others happy. It made things easier on days like this. The serious days where all the twins wanted to do was curl up and mourn in silence for a few days or weeks.

Sometime after Feliciano's grin faded again, Mathias shared a glance with Gilbert before he decided to all but use Lukas as a support, leaning on him while babbling about something completely random and more than likely made up off the top of his head.

Feliciano looked back up in curiousity as to what was going on. Lukas looked extremely uncomfortable with the sudden contact, as well as all the extra weight that Mathias was placing on him and shifted so that the Dane hit the table. Not hard enough to really hurt him, of course, but enough to make him stop.

Feliciano chuckled faintly, so Mathias figured it was worth it and settled down again.

Up until that point, they'd all been relatively calm, not wanting to disturb the younger twin or make the elder mad at them for doing something stupid until they could fix whatever was wrong, if possible.

Lovino knew that Lukas and Mathias had spoken on the drive to school that morning. They were only acting like this today to try to keep Feli and him from overthinking things and getting themselves depressed. Nobody wanted to deal with either of them when they got depressed.

Mathias had been calmer than ever, but that was the only thing out of the plan they'd surely made, so that was more than likely what that morning's surprising show of affection from the two had stemmed from.

Yelling from outside the cafeteria caught the group's attention.

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Trouble in paradise. Again,"he sighed. "Sounds like another infamous fight between Sadık and Heracles. Wonder how long it'll last this time.."

Lovino rolled his eyes, at least up until the greek male came in. "Well, whatever it is this time, it certainly seems to be the end of them. Shame."

"What do you mean?"Antonio asked.

Francis rolled his eyes. "Those two have been together for two years now, but it's constant fighting. Still, with all their fights, Heracles has never actually gotten upset enough to look like he's about to break down. So..it's got to be pretty bad."he said softly.

Feliciano frowned as he watched the greek. "Kiku will make them fix things. He always does."

Lovino nodded. "Maybe. But still..those two have never actually fought this bad."

Feliciano sighed. "I know."he murmured. "Still..."

The group stayed on that topic for a while, each placing their own opinion of whether the two would make up or not after such a bad falling out.

It was odd, Lovino thought. We've yet to have something like that occur so close to home. Until now.

**And I figured out a way to introduce Japan! After a very long talk with our cosplay group's Sweden today.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Näkemiin.**


	32. Chapter 32

**AN: Merhaba!**

**Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I know..it'll be fixed soon. I don't like torturing the poor guys, despite what it may seem. **

**Hope you enjoy.**

The following morning, Feliciano seemed to be in a better mood. Therefore, Lovino got to skip out on wearing the angel wings. Still, on the way to school, he carried Feliciano on his back, letting his brother act like a child for a while.

Things settled when they sat down with the others. Lovino frowned when he saw that Berwald was doctoring a cut across Tino's arm. His eyes narrowed. "Who hurt him?"he asked.

Berwald didn't answer, keeping his focus on what he was doing.

Mathias spoke. "Romano...that's not..it's not exactly what you think."

Lovino looked over at the Dane, who looked highly uncomfortable.

Just then, Tino winced and went to pull his arm away, but Berwald tightened his grip a bit and Tino stopped, letting him continue his work in silence.

Nobody said anything for the longest, until Berward finished and let Tino pull his arm to him again, settling against Berwald's side carefully.

A soft voice sounded from nearby not long after. "Tino?"

Tino looked up curiously. Eduard.

"Can I speak with you in private?"

Tino nodded, getting up and following his friend away so they could talk.

Mathias shared a look with Lukas before he looked at Berwald and spoke. "Do you know who did that to Tino?"he asked.

Berwald looked up and nodded once. But he wasn't going to tell them. That much was obvious.

Mathias, deciding to see if his theory was right, spoke once again. "Was he hurt when you met up with him to walk to school?"he asked.

Berwald once again gave a nod, narrowing his eyes warningly at the Dane.

Mathias sighed and nodded. So he _was_ right. "Poor kid.."

Lovino heard that and tilted his head for a moment, looking back at the small Finnish male before his eyes widened slightly. He looked back at the Berwald and Mathias. "You guys are kidding..."he said softly. "..who'd ever want to hurt Tino? He's so innocent."

"Not as innocent as you'd think upon first meeting him."Lukas said softly. "I know that when I first met him, he was so jumpy, but he was so sweet and innocent. Then I started to get to know him, what all he's gone through in his life. The innocence he seems to have? It's mostly an act,"

Lovino frowned slightly. He hated that the smaller male had to go through such crap. It wasn't right.

Tino joined the others again right after that, and Lovino carefully held his tounge, not wanting to upset him.

Emil sat down with them not long after, taking a look at Tino's now carefully wrapped arm and the bruising that decorated both of his arms and disappeared into his shirt before he sighed. "Why don't you come stay with Mathias and me for a while, Tino?"he asked quietly.

Tino gave a faint smile. "I suppose."he said softly.

That morning, Lovino and Antonio walked a lot slower, waiting for the others to disappear.

"I still don't get why someone would want to hurt Tino,"Lovino admitted after Antonio asked him why he was being so quiet. "I've known all of the nordics for ages, and they're all very kindhearted. Tino most especially. And the fact that it's his own _family_ who's hurting him...god I've never wanted to kill someone so much before. But nobody has any right to lay a hand on their child in a harmful way. Nobody."

Antonio pulled Lovino to a stop, letting everyone else pass them. "Listen, Lovi..Mathias and Emil? They're going to take care of Tino. Berwald will care for Tino more than anyone will. Just let them handle it, okay? I know, you hate seeing people you're close to in pain. But let them handle Tino, you just help if they ask it of you. You keep an eye on Feli and stay back out of everything else, okay? Otherwise, _you_ could get hurt, and I don't want that. And I'm pretty sure that the others would never forgive you if you got hurt because you were sticking up for them."

Lovino nodded in understanding.

Needless to say, the beginning of the day didn't run as smoothly as possible. Not at all.

At lunch, the group was quiet for the beginning of it, letting everyone eat in silence. The first comment was from Francis, an update about the fight that Sadık and Hercules. "So, I talked to Kiku last hour, and he told me that they fixed everything this morning. But with how they've been fighting, it is only a matter of time before they call it quits."he said.

Lovino followed the frenchman's eyes to see the two sitting just out of earshot, talking quietly. It was the first time they'd been seen not fighting as of recently. He nodded once.

Berwald's surprising chuckle pulled attention to him. Lovino gave a faint smile when he noticed at Tino was sound asleep, resting against Berwald's side.

Emil blinked before he looked at Berwald. "Should we drive him home?"

Berwald shook his head. "Nej. H' c'n st'y. I c'n w'tch 'v'r h'm f'r n'w."

Emil tilted his head but nodded. "Alright."he said softly.

Berwald nodded once.

Lovino managed a soft smile. It was sweet to watch Tino and Berwald, because while they were very different, their personalities didn't clash horribly. Besides, it was just nice that Tino trusted someone enough to be so close to them like that.

At the end of lunch, Berwald easily picked Tino up instead of waking him up so he could walk.

Mathias gave a soft smile, but there was worry. "Don't drop him."he said softly.

Berwald looked at Mathias for a moment. "' w'on't."he said quietly. "H's l'ght,"

The end of the day brought about the usual jokes being exchanged. Tino was cheerful as he spoke with everyone.

The others were amused by the hyperactivity that filled him. Normally, Tino was very calm, but almost always smiling.

Lovino raised an eyebrow. "Hey,"he greeted, giving Tino an odd look when he noticed how hyper the other boy was. Then he looked at the others curiously.

Still, he didn't say anything.

Things were calm after that. Not as tense as they had been earlier that day.

**There ya go. Though this one is actually going out to the Sweden in our cosplay group, as him and our Finland are the ones who inspired this one. **

**Ho****şçakalın.**


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: Hi.  
Here's a new chapter for you. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I'm quite sure. I don't try to unless it has something to do with the plot, I promise. I'm not that cruel. Yet. Lovi is the best brother in the world! Well...in some cases. If he gets depressed? Not so much.**

**Shiralala: I'm glad you enjoy it. It just hides from people. Like Canada, it's invisible a lot of the time! Kidding. I dunno, I never really pay attention. I try to update everyday, so that's probably why that happened. And as far as the side pairings go, all the ones you listed were right, and there is a current touch of Turkey/Greece because of the Sweden in the cosplay group at my school requesting to see that as a side pairing for at least three chapters. Then I could do whatever the hell I wanted as far as that pairing goes.**

**Anyways. Hope you enjoy.**

Lovino was really getting sick of nightmares. He glanced at the clock beside his bed to see neon numbers flashing at him. Two-thirty in the morning. He groaned, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes for a moment. He knew he wasn't going to go back to sleep after the nightmare he'd had. Just then, his door opened and he looked at it, his guard flying up until he saw Feliciano standing there, rubbing at his left eye.

"Fratello?"

Lovino blinked. "What?"he asked. But he didn't snap like he normally did.

Feliciano hesitated. "Can I stay with you for the rest of the night?"he asked quietly. "I can't sleep."

Lovino half smiled. "Get over here."he said softly, patting the empty side of his bed.

Feliciano entered then, closing the door behind himself and moving to burrow under his brother's covers and curl up.

Lovino shifted to lean against the headboard and let Feliciano rest against him. "Get some rest, Feli. You'll need it tomorrow."

Silence fell for the longest before Feliciano spoke. "Will you sing me something? Please?"he asked.

Lovino looked down at his brother with soft eyes and nodded, preceeding to sing softly in italian, something that set Feliciano at ease and let the younger of the brothers to finally drift to sleep.

Once Lovino was sure he was asleep, he stopped singing and stared at the cieling in thought. He was okay with being alone, he was used to it. But Feli..he needed someone around to help look after him. Which is why Lovino let Ludwig anywhere near his brother. Because he knew that the german truly cared for his brother.

Lovino ended up dozing back off as well, letting his head rest lightly against Feliciano's.

The following morning, Lovino woke to his alarm and reached over to cut it off, shifting slightly and managing to wake Feliciano up before he started getting ready, leaving his brother to get woken up fully.

Feliciano was a bit slower about getting up that morning, but as soon as he was up and ready, he was the same hyperactive boy he normally was.

The younger italian ended up dragging Lovino into the school building that morning, since Lovino was lagging behind a bit due to being a bit less energized than his brother.

Lovino was just happy to be able to sit down and curl up against Antonio, letting the spaniard wrap his arms tightly around him.

Feliciano kissed Ludwig's cheek as he sat down, and Lovino gave a soft smile at that before he let his eyes slip closed again, relaxing once more.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow, looking over at his younger brother. "Hat er ignorieren dass?"he asked curiously.

Ludwig shrugged. "Ja, ich denke schon."

Gilbert blinked in surprise but let it go.

Antonio looked between the two. "What are you two on about?"he asked curiously from where his chin was resting on Lovino's shoulder lightly.

"Nothing. It's just, Lovino normally snaps at Ludwig when those two get so close."Gilbert said softly. "It's odd for him to brush it off like that, because he's so protective of Feli."

Lovino growled, but spoke. "I ignored it because he makes Feli happy. As long as he doesn't hurt Feli..then I don't care. But the minute that Feli gets hurt by him, his head's coming off."he said, opening his eyes to glare at the german before glaring at Gilbert as well. "Sorry, Gil, but not even you will stop me."

Feliciano frowned. "Fratello! Be nice to Ludwig! He's not done anything!"  
"Yet."Lovino pointed out, then settled back down.

Antonio smiled softly. "He does it because he cares."he said softly.

Feliciano nodded once, but still frowned slightly at his brother.

"At least he's okay with you two now."Francis pointed out. "Used to, he hated you guys even being friends."

Feliciano nodded again and let it drop, going back to his conversation with Ludwig, who looked a bit lost.

That morning was one of the less eventful ones. Lunch, however, things started to get a bit less calm. Lovino was fuming when he came into the cafeteria and took a seat with the others.

Antonio frowned in concern, reaching out to pull Lovino to him, only to be pushed away by him. He sighed. "What's going on?"he asked quietly.

Lovino shook his head, his eyes dark.

Feliciano looked at Lovino. "Lovi, what's wrong?"he asked. "It has to be something important, or you wouldn't get this upset over it."

That was true. While the elder italian was a bit more sensitive to things, he didn't tend to react like this around his friends unless it mattered to him a lot.

"Nothing for you to worry about Feli."Lovino answered quietly. "Just some guys being jerks as usual, let it go."

Gilbert frowned at the tone in Lovino's voice. It was definitely more than just people beng jerks as normal. "I want to know who they were and what they said."he said, glaring at the elder italian.

Matthew sat up straight, getting out of the direct line of fire so that Gilbert wouldn't accidentally hurt him and then have Alfred after him.

Lovino shook his head, but said nothing.

Berwald and Tino entered then, and Tino, who was always useful to people trying to get information, started jabbering when he sat down, looking at Lovino. "Are you okay? You looked like you wanted to murder them or something."

Lovino sighed and shrugged it off. "Yeah, yeah, it's fine. Let it go."

Gilbert took in the expression in Lovino's eyes. "It most certainly is not fine."he deadpanned. "What was said and who was it?"

Lovino hated when his friends got like this. They always went over the top. "I said it's nothing, okay? Just the normal, so let it go."

Tino seemed to realize that Lovino wanted to handle it himself, because when Gilbert looked at him, he spoke, agreeing with Lovino. "Yeah, it was nothing. I was just worried it had bothered him..."

Gilbert could tell it was a lie, but he let it go anyways, knowing that Lovino really didn't want to talk about it.  
Feliciano frowned but said nothing about it. He'd let his brother deal if he wanted to deal. It was what they did. If they wanted alone time, they'd get alone time.

Things settled back down after that. Surprisingly, Mathias didn't manage to get himself hit by Lukas for being an idiot at lunch that day. But it was only a matter of time.

The group split for the remainder of the school day, meeting up again after school. They all headed to Antonio's house to hang out for a while after school.

Lovino stayed out to the side, working through his thoughts in silence until Antonio plopped down beside him and took one of his hands quietly.

While it wasn't expected in any form, Lovino was glad that Antonio had done that. The support was nice.

**Here ya go. Hope you enjoyed. **


	34. Chapter 34

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**I will say that I am currently listening to German music - An Deiner Seite by Unheilig to be exact. **

**Hope you enjoy!**

Things were going pretty well considering all that had happened recently. They were calm, finally. Lovino was currently using Antonio's lap as his pillow, letting the spaniard play with his hair. He was relaxing, listening to his brother jabber on about something in italian. He gave input every so often, but never tried to interupt.

"You need to sit up before you get in trouble."

Lunch was nice, Lovino thought. Especially when we're out at the quad. Until something like this happens. Hercales was the one who'd spoken. Lovino glanced at him for a moment before he sighed, pushing himself to sit up. "I was comfortable too."

Sadık pulled Hercales down to sit and gave a faint smile to the others before he spoke to Lovino. "Yes, well, I don't think the administrators _care_. They won't allow it."

Lovino huffed, trying to get comfortable again before he frowned for a moment. He rolled his eyes, going back to how he had been. "They can get the fuck over it."he grumbled.

Antonio laughed lightly, going back to playing with the elder italian's hair again.

Feliciano tilted his head, frowning at his brother. "Lovi..don't get in trouble. I have to watch out for you, too, not just the other way around,"

"Don't worry 'bout me. I can sweet talk my way out of anything,"Lovino said softly.

Gilbert snorted. "If you're talking to a lady, sure. Let another man come near you when you're in trouble. You shut down."

Lovino glowered at his best friend before he rolled his eyes and relaxed. Antonio smiled faintly, running his hand through the italian's hair gently, trying not to disturb his curl in the process.

Hercales raised an eyebrow at this. "Have you ever.."

"Pulled on my curl?"Lovino asked, looking at Hercales, who nodded.

Antonio half smiled. "Yes, I have. He went off on me for it. Which is why I'm trying to avoid messing with it now. I don't want him snapping at me."

Lovino's eyes had slipped closed.

Feliciano smiled softly. "He's like a kitty, likes being petted."he commented.

Lovino tiredly flipped his brother off. "Shut up, Fratello."he said.

Matthew frowned at Lovino. "Have you gotten any sleep recently?"he asked the italian.

Lovino blinked his eyes opened and looked over at Matthew before he huffed and let his eyes close again.

Feliciano sighed. "He's up every morning by three thirty."he answered. "Won't tell me why,"

"Nightmares,"Lovino supplied. "I don't like them, so I don't sleep after I wake up from one normally."

Nobody else asked questions about it. Instead, they let it go and let Lovino drift to sleep.

Gilbert spoke softly. "He's never had nightmares when we're over. Otherwise he would've woke one of us up."

"I would've realized,"Antonio said softly. "Since I do tend to use him as a teddy bear when we stay over,"

"Which is absolutely adorable,"Matthew teased.

Antonio rolled his eyes. "Point is, if he had a nightmare, I'd've known. He would've woke me up or something from shifting."

Feliciano nodded. "He's normally screaming when he has a nightmare. He's woken me up a couple times before. But..it's gotten better. A bit. I've taken to staying with him, because otherwise the house feels so empty. I miss nonno."

Ludwig tilted his head. The brothers had become so inseperable since their nonno's death, but he could tell they dealt with it in different ways. It seemed like Lovino, who was the first to find out, was the one who was the least affected by it judging by how he acted. But he knew better. Lovino distanced himself so much from the situation to keep himself together to help Feliciano.

Lovino seemed to give up on getting any rest, because he sighed and opened his eyes, looking to his brother. He sat back up and motioned for Feliciano to come to him.

Feliciano got up and moved to curl into Lovino's side. Lovino sighed again and wrapped his arms around him comfortingly.

Silence fell for a long while until Lovino spoke softly. "You have got to stop thinking so much about it. It's not worth tearing yourself down over."he murmured. "It's nature,"

Feliciano nodded but otherwise didn't respond.

Ludwig ended up walking Feliciano home early, at Lovino's insistance. Gilbert sighed once they disappeared. "West has told me that Feli's told him that he feels like he's being an inconvieniance to you,"

Lovino looked over at Gilbert before he huffed. "He will never be an inconvieniance to me,"he said softly.

Their day had gone from peaceful to stressed in less than an hour. It was hard to think that that was possible, but it had happened.

Once the group got to the Vargas brothers' home, Lovino immediately pulled his brother into a tight hug. This startled the younger, since he knew his brother didn't tend to show much affection towards people, not even Antonio, anymore. He'd closed himself off to protect himself after their nonno died.

Feliciano's breath caught in his throat for a moment at this sudden display of affection before he hid his face in his brother's shoulder.

Ludwig looked at his own brother in question.

Gilbert spoke in soft German. "Es war ein harter Tag."he offered.

Ludwig nodded and turned his attention back to the two.

Even though he knew both of the boys were strong, he figured that they'd need a lot of help until they got back on their feet. Even if they snapped about it or refused the help.

**Here ya go. By the way, warning you now, the translation might be a bit off on the German, as I do not know past tense. I had to look it up, so it might be off a bit. So here - **

**Es war ein harter Tag = It was a hard day.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!**


	35. Chapter 35

**AN: Guten Tag!**

**Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatCaveYouCallAChest: Thanks for the song recs. I have been looking for one for Rome's funeral. So that really does help. You're right, MCR does fit. **

**Spamano4ever: And they shall get lots of love. With that group? There's no way they couldn't get loved. **

**Mighty Agamemnon: Realistic high school? Thanks, I guess. That's nice to know. And while I do love Lovi, I will agree that he does need to get more used to the snappish nature that people have when they're upset or worried. But, while that is a big character flaw of his, it's because he's so used to being alone that he doesn't know how to deal with other people snapping at him like that, especially if that someone is as close to him as Antonio is. A lot of times, just small things will set him off, but it's because he truly cares about Antonio, just doesn't know how to let him know. He has low self-esteem, but he is admittedly getting better about it, as is Antonio. Both of them..they're a really dysfunctional pairing because they both have their low self-esteem thing with other people, they just act differently because of it. **

**And that is the most I have ever typed in response to a review. Phew.**

Lovino woke up on the morning of Feliciano and his nonno's funeral and sighed. He didn't look forward to this, because after this, it was all so final. Antonio and the others would be waiting for them at home, but Lovino already knew that it was going to be a long day anyways.

He got up and got ready, hesitant to begin his day.  
Feliciano, who was normally very smiley and energized in the mornings, was sullen when Lovino met up with him in the kitchen for breakfast.

As soon as that ended, the brothers headed out.

The funeral was hard to sit through. It was a very quiet thing. Even Lovino didn't have the strength to get up and talk. Feliciano kept clinging to him, crying silently. He knew it was hard on his brother, seeing their nonno in the coffin like this. He bit back his own tears, holding himself together by a thread for his brother.

At least, until the burial. Then Lovino let his tears fall as well. Feliciano and him lingered the longest of the small crowd there. Then Lovino led them both home.

As soon as they were home, everyone else giving both of the brothers sad looks, the two seperated to get changed. Feliciano sat down in the floor of the living room after. Lovino came into the room soon after, carrying one of their nonno's old blankets that still had his scent on it and draping it around his brother, who was still crying in silence before he sat down and wrapped his arms around him in silence.

Feliciano once again cried himself to sleep. This time, Lovino let Ludwig take care of his brother while he got up and headed outside alone, not wanting to break around the others.

Antonio got up and followed.

Gilbert tried to stop him, tell him to let Lovino have some alone time, but didn't bother. Lovino would let the spaniard know if he wanted to be alone.

The tears that once again fell steadily down Lovino's face made Antonio wish that he could stop the pain for both the boys. He knew it wasn't easy to lose someone close to you.

Antonio sighed silently, drawing Lovino to him in a hug. The italian turned towards him, and for a moment he thought that he was going to be pushed away. But then he found himself being clung to.

Now, for the first time as he listened to Lovino sob quietly against his chest, he realized why Lovino was how he was. He kept himself shut off to keep himself safe. He didn't get close to anyone out of fear of them leaving him. He was protective of those closest to him because he didn't _want_ to lose them now that they were in his life and so close to him. He snapped a lot, but it was his way of seeing who cared enough to see past that and who would turn and leave the second he got into a pissy mood. He didn't cry in front of others because he was scared they'd turn him away if they thought he was weak enough to cry.

And for the first time ever, Antonio realized, Lovino was still a lost little kid who'd grown up too fast.

After a while, Lovino pulled away, sniffling, and dried his eyes. "Sorry,"he mumbled, looking away.

Antonio turned Lovino's head back to where he was looking at him. "Don't be. I know. It's hard to say goodbye like that. You needed to let it out,"he said softly. "You've tried to stay strong too long not to,"

Lovino shrugged. "I had to keep it together for Feli."he said softly. "He doesn't need to watch me break like this."

Antonio nodded in understanding. "Just know we all love you. And that we're going to help you guys get going again,"

Lovino shook his head. "Don't. Toni, don't, let me handle this. Please?"

Antonio tilted his head but nodded. "Fine. But if you guys ever need some help or something..let one of us know."he said quietly.

Lovino nodded once, leaning up to steal a kiss.

As soon as he pulled away, he gave a weak faint smile. "Thanks,"he said quietly. "Are you guys staying the night?"

Antonio nodded.

"Okay,"Lovino said softly.

By dinner, Feliciano was back up. But he kept himself wrapped up in the blanket that Lovino had placed around him. He let a few tears fall every so often, but mostly kept himself together.

Lovino never let another tear fall in that time. He'd let out what he'd kept bottled inside and that was it.

The group ended up sitting in the living room, talking quietly.

Lovino was one of the first to fall asleep, emotionally and physically drained after the day.

Antonio half smiled, pulling a spare blanket over the italian leaning against him and letting him be.

After that, everyone settled down.

The following morning, Antonio awoke to see Lovino still fast asleep against his chest. He smiled faintly, but didn't move so as to not wake him up.

Gilbert smiled over at him. "I've never seen him so at ease with someone before, Tonio. You've accomplished something just shy of a miracle."

Antonio smiled in response, but didn't answer. Instead, he drifted back into a light sleep.

About an hour later, Antonio woke up again to Lovino's stirring. Lovino blinked his eyes open and raised his head before he mumbled something in italian and laid his head back down, snuggling closer to Antonio, who chuckled.

Lovino looked up at him curiously and Antonio smiled, pecking the italian's lips.

Still, he shifted so that Lovino was pulled into his lap and he could sit up, but Lovino could keep his head on his chest and nap a bit longer.

_How sweet,_ Matthew thought, smiling at the scene. _It's not often that something like this happens._

**And done. I should apologize for this, but I'm not going to. **

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: Hey. **

**Here's another chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: It is not the end of the story. It's the end of a time in the Vargas brothers' lives. Indeed it is. **

**Spamano4ever: It is good that they have good friends.**

**Enjoy!  
_**

Alfred, who had showed up to see if his brother would be home that morning, was currently trying to get an explantation as to what was going on from his twin.

Matthew huffed. "Alfred, don't you have a date today?"he asked.

"Yeah,"Alfred said, glancing at his watch before cursing. "Shit, I'm going to be late. Arthur's gonna kill me,"

With that, the american bolted from the house. Lovino, who'd been woke up when Alfred showed up, laughed. "Oh that poor fuck."He commented.

Matthew shook his head. "I wonder what I did in a past life to have to put up with sometimes. Still, he has moments where he can be a gentleman. He'll make up for being late,"he said, smiling faintly.

Lovino smiled slightly as well before yawning.

Antonio laughed lightly. "How are you still tired?"he asked.

"It was a long day."Lovino mumbled.

Francis came out of the kitchen then and sighed. "Matthieu, come get your boyfriend before I kill him."he said.

Matthew laughed, getting up and going to get the prussian.

Gilbert was pouting, making Lovino laugh.

After a while, Lovino rolled his eyes and removed himself from Antonio's lap and arms. "C'mon, Matt. Let's see if we can do a little poking around to see what your brother can come up with."

Matthew looked a bit uncomfortable with the idea of spying on his brother, but got up and followed Lovino.

The two ended up sitting on the sidewalk not far off from the house, just talking. "So, has Gil manned up and asked you on a date yet?"Lovino asked.

Matthew half smiled. "Kind of.."he said softly. "This evening.."

Lovino grinned. "He tell you what he has planned?"  
Matthew shook his head. "He said dinner and then he had a surprise."

Lovino laughed lightly. "You're going to love it, Matt. I promise."he said.

"Really?"Matthew asked uncertainly.

Lovino nodded. "Gil's one of my best friends, but we've been friends forever, Matthew. I wouldn't let him take you out on this date if I thought you could get hut due to it."

Matthew nodded in understanding and fell silent.

Lovino stayed quiet for a while before he rolled his eyes. "C'mon, we should head back before Gil gets worried about ya,"he said, getting up and waiting on the canadian.

As soon as they walked back in the house, Gilbert pulled Matthew into a hug. Lovino rolled his eyes, taking a seat with Antonio in silence.

Antonio raised an eyebrow as he watched Gilbert and Matthew. "Well, then.."

Lovino chuckled. "Gil's a bit insecure about people leaving him,"he offered. "I tried not to keep Matt out too long to try to avoid this,"

Matthew sighed, giving Lovino a look over Gilbert's shoulder before he spoke softly to the prussian, trying to sooth him and get back a bit so he could breathe normally.

It was only after he realized that words weren't working that he leaned forward and cut Gilbert off by stealing a kiss from him. When he pulled back, he gave Gilbert a soft smile, as well as a whispered, 'you worry too much'.

Lovino rolled his eyes, leaning against Antonio as he watched this. "They're sweet,"he murmured.

Antonio nodded once. "Yeah, they are."

Gilbert didn't start fussing again, so Matthew's method had worked, Lovino figured.

Instead of saying anything, Gilbert gave Matthew another kiss and let him go.

Ludwig shared a knowing smile with Lovino, who shook his head in amusement, shrugging as if to say, 'what can you do?'.

It was odd that Gilbert wasn't speaking, but nobody said anything, letting the two have their moment. It was sweet.

Gilbert whispered something to Matthew then, making the canadian look at him with wide eyes for a moment before he blushed and smiled, murmuring something in return.

Lovino kept his smile hidden as the two sat down with the others.

Nobody said a word to the two, instead Francis offered a different topic. "So, who's up for a group dinner tomorrow?"he asked.

Tomorrow would be their returning day to school. Lovino nodded in agreement.

It took maybe five minutes to make a plan and for Francis to get started on it.

**Here ya go. New chapter.**


	37. Chapter 37

**AN: Hi!**

**New chappy for ya.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: It's fine, that was my bad for my wording in the end.**

**Spamanoever: I love PruCan, and this is the first time I've actually wrote it. I'm gonna write them a drabble or something later.**

**GothicKitty1313: Yeah..but things are going to get better for both of them. They both have wonderful boyfriends who care so much for them!**

**Enjoy.  
_**

The group was relaxing outside at lunch the following day, enjoying the unusual warmth. Lovino was laying down in the grass, staring at the clouds.

Matthew spoke softly, interupting the Italian's thoughts. "Hey, Lovi?"he asked. "How are you and Feli going to do now..?"

Lovino sighed. "I'm going to pick up a part time job soon,"he replied, looking at Matthew tiredly. "We have to survive somehow,"

Gilbert spoke. "Until you find a job, you could always play at bars and stuff for money,"he offered. "That friend of your nonno's would do that for you and Feli. He loves you guys to death,"

Lovino nodded, going back to watching the stars. "Yeah, I'll do that.."

Hercales looked up at Lovino from where he was patching up a guitar. He glanced at it before he passed it over to Lovino, who blinked at it in surprise.

"What are you on about?"

Hercales smiled. "Play something,"he said softly.

Lovino sat up and fixed the tuning on the guitar silently. "What song?"

Francis grinned. "Play something for Tonio,"he said. "You've never played a song for him,"

"That's so awkward, though.."Lovino said softly.

Antonio half smiled, kissing the Italian's cheek lightly before he rolled his eyes. "Play whatever you want to play, Lovi."

Lovino sighed. "Fine.."he grumbled, glaring at Francis before he glanced down at the chords before he started playing. It took him a few tries to make it sound right.

"_Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I'm homebound. Staring blankly ahead, just making my way, making a way through the crowd. And I need you, and I miss you, and now I wonder..."_

Francis smiled faintly in surprise. He wasn't aware that Lovino could play something so _sweet_.

"_It's always times like these when I think of you and wonder if you ever think of me, cause everything's so wrong and I don't belong living in your precious memories."_

Lovino half smiled, glancing up at the others as he stopped playing. He passed the guitar to Hercales again, rolling his eyes. "Content?"he asked.

Francis spoke up. "That..that was..._aw!_ Sweet!"he said, grinning at Lovino.

Lovino turned bright red and shrugged.

Antonio laughed lightly, pulling Lovino to him. "Leave him alone, guys. If he wants to be sweet, he can be sweet."he said softly.

Lovino half smiled, wrinkling his nose slightly.

Things settled a bit after that, and Antonio rested his chin against Lovino's shoulder as he listened to the conversation, sometimes giving a soft comment, sometimes not.

Gilbert hid his smile in Matthew's hair. It was nice to see Lovino so okay with physical contact after so long.

Lukas was examining Lovino before he spoke. "I could talk to my dad about getting you an interview,"he offered.

Lovino gave Lukas a faint smile. "Would you?"he asked. "That would really help,"

Matthew seemed to realize something, because he snatched his bag and dug through it quickly, gaining a few looks.

As soon as Matthew got his history notebook out, Lovino cursed. "We have a test today, don't we?"he asked.

Matthew nodded.

Lovino cursed again, getting his own notes out.

Antonio and Gilbert exchanged looks, but neither of them said anything to the two once they started studying over their notes.

After a while, Antonio looked over Lovino's shoulder at the notes in his hands before he blinked in surprise. "What..?"

Lovino looked back at him for a moment before realizing that he was trying to read the notes. "Oh, sorry. It's in Italian. Matthew and me always do this, we write in French and Italian respectively when it comes to our notes. That way, we can word it so we understand it better and the teachers can't get on to us because they can't understand it,"

Antonio nodded, letting Lovino go back to studying.

Silence fell for the longest before Lovino growled, putting his notes up. "I give up. If I fail, I fail,"he grumbled.

Antonio rolled his eyes, pulling the Italian into a soft kiss before he pulled back and met his eyes. "You won't fail. Neither of you. Know why? Because you are both muy inteligente."he said softly. "So stop with that,"

Lovino huffed, but nodded once in understanding, letting Antonio pull him closer.

Feliciano frowned at his brother. It wasn't often that he had a spell like this, but when he did it never ended well. "Lovi...? You aren't going to snap again are you..?"

Lovino blinked at Feliciano before he gave a weak smile and shook his head. "No, Feli, I'm not."

"Promise?"

That innocent voice surprised Lovino still. He nodded. "Promise."he said softly.

After school ended, Lovino sighed in relief. The group was sitting together outside again, waiting on everyone to show up before they left.

Antonio raised an eyebrow as he sat down beside Lovino. "How'd the test go?"

"It sucked. I think I answered about half of it in Italian before I realized what I was doing, so I had to go back and rewrite it all in english."Lovino said, sighing and leaning against Antonio tiredly. "I'm not cut out for last minute cramming and freaking out when I'm handed a test. I can't do that again,"

Gilbert laughed. "Yeah, out of the group, Matthew and Lovino are the only ones who will study days ahead of time for a test or something,"he said. "They're not good under that kind of pressure."

Matthew shoved Gilbert lightly. "Jerk,"he mumbled.

Gilbert responded with catching the canadian in a hug. "Ich liebe dich,"he said softly.

Matthew turned pink. "Let go,"he said softly. He looked _really _uncomfortable with the situation.

"No."Gilbert said.

Matthew knew what he was waiting on and sighed, rolling his eyes. "Je t'aime aussi."he said softly.

Ludwig and Francis both looked at the two in surprise.

Lovino blinked at them before he grinned. "Okay, I know enough of those two to know that you guys just told each other that you love them."he said. "Secondly, that's adorable,"

Both of them turned pink, so Lovino let it drop, knowing it sucked to be put on the spot like that.

A sound of a nearby argument got the others' attention. Lovino glanced back. Of course. Hercales and Sadık were fighting again.

Only this time it was different.

"..no, I've told you a _million _times, do not act like that if you come visit. They're wanting to kick me out," Hercales didn't sound happy. Lovino knew what that was about. Hercales's parents hadn't been too happy when he'd come out to them, and Hercales, in an attempt to keep Sadık safe from harm, had given the warning not to act like they were together when he visited if they were around Hercales's parents. "And I know you always say that if they do, I could come stay with you, but..I can't just..."

Sadık nodded that he understood. "I got it,"he said softly, taking one of the greek's hands in his own. "I know. I messed up with this..but I promise it won't happen again."

"Okay,"

Lovino looked at the others for a moment before he sighed. "I hate when parents are like that,"he grumbled.

Feliciano nodded. "Weren't our parents like that?"  
"If they paid us any mind, you mean?"Lovino asked. "No. They were actually pretty open minded about things..but then..they never really cared either way, so.."

Feliciano nodded in understanding.

Antonio spoke softly, offering a distraction. "So..I know Lovi's middle name. What's Feli's?"

Nobody answered for a while, so Lovino spoke up. "It's Veneziano."he said softly.

Feliciano blinked at Lovino before he let it go, continuing an old conversation with Ludwig quietly.

It stayed that way for the longest before they left, all heading to hang out at the old community center again for a while before they headed for dinner.

Alfred and Arthur joined them later and got questioned about their date the night before.

It had turned out to be a pretty good day for a first day back after a funeral.

**Here. Once again, I listened to Europa for the majority of my time writing this. Hope you enjoyed!**


	38. Chapter 38

**AN: Hej.**

**Her er et nyt kapitel for dig.**

**Til dem, der revideret:**

**Spamano4ever: No one other than Lovino really**_** knew**_** Feli's middle name for sure. It's not like Lovino's case. Lovi goes by his middle name sometimes, so Denmark and the others know him by that. Feli's never gone by Veneziano in this. And as for Lovi snapping..he has moments where if he gets too stressed out over something, then he snaps. Snaps as in has close to a mental breakdown. If you've seen someone break under pressure before due to something, that's what I mean. It'll be explained later on in the story with more detail, I promise!**

**GothicKitty1313: The group...it's the kind of group that..they're okay with asking questions unless they think there's a possibility that someone could get upset by the question or answer. They'll ask questions and give honest answers, but they try not to upset anyone in the process.**

**Nyt kapittelet!**

By the time the group headed out for dinner, Lovino was definitely in a better mood than he had been. As such, Feliciano didn't worry so much about him snapping all of a sudden about the smallest thing. That was _always _what happened. Lovino would manage okay for a while under huge amounts of stress for whatever reason and then over the smallest thing, he'd snap. The last time, he'd managed to sustain quite a few injuries.

Francis was keeping a careful eye on the brothers, trying to figure out what was going on with them. They hadn't been acting normally. He wasn't normally hesitant to ask if something was wrong, but with how they'd been acting? It was safer _not_ to ask.

Thankfully, Gilbert had no reservations and spoke up. "So, what's going on with you two?"

Lovino blinked at him and Feliciano cocked his head to the side curiously.

"I mean, you're both acting oddly. Have been all day."Gilbert said softly.

Silence reigned until Lovino spoke up. "We're still working on getting back on our feet, Gil. Give us a few weeks and we'll both be back to normal."he said softly.

Gilbert nodded in understanding, letting the topic drop. It was Ludwig who offered a new topic.

Over the space of two hours, the group covered many topics. But currently, it was silent. Nobody felt the need to break it, as everyone was pretty comfortable with it.

Feliciano was the one who finally broke it with a yawn. Lovino looked to his brother and Francis half smiled. "Guess that's our key that we should head back to Tonio's for the night, huh?"he asked.

Earlier that day, Antonio had agreed to let them all stay over.

A few people nodded and the group got up, paid for their food and left.

Once they got to Antonio's and settled, Feliciano collapsed against Ludwig who shrugged his jacket off and put it around him in silence before he let his arms wrap around his waist.

Lovino gave the german a searching look when he saw this, but he could tell that his brother was smiling against Ludwig's chest, so he didn't say anything. _As long as Feliciano is happy_, Lovino thought as he took a seat against a wall out of the way to watch the others.

It wasn't normal for him to do that, but the others got that if he did this, he didn't feel like talking and being social.

Even Antonio let him be, let him think things through on his own.

Feliciano fell asleep in the middle of a conversation, gaining a few chuckles and a soft smile from Ludwig.

Lovino spoke then, for the first time in a while. "I'm worried for Feli."he said softly.

Everyone fell silent, looking over at Lovino.

"Mon ami?"Francis asked. "What are you talking about?"

Lovino met his eyes before he spoke. "All of his light's gone, haven't you noticed? He's not himself, anyone can tell that."he said softly. "Nonno's death his both of us hard, but..he's not used to stuff like this, he's never really lost anyone like this, not when he didn't have someone else that could be there for him,"

"But..."Gilbert started.

Lovino shook his head. "I can't. I've tried. He gets mad at me for hiding my emotions to take care of him. Guys..I need help with him. I would never ask this of you if there was another way, but please, can one of you look after him until I can get us to stable ground again?"

Ludwig nodded. "Ja. Gil and I can look after him while you get things back together. And both of you are more than welcome to come stay with us."

Gilbert half smiled faintly. His brother always looked out for others. Even if that person didn't like him too much.

Lovino tilted his head down. "Feli can stay. I'm not,"

Gilbert looked at Lovino in surprise. "Well, you certainly aren't staying alone,"

The deadpan look Lovino gave him was enough to shut him up. "I will. Until I can figure out a _sane_ way of getting Feli and me back to level ground, I'm not going to have him there to endanger him further."he said. "Because he knows, and you and Francis know, I would never ask someone to look after him if I didn't know I was too unstable for him to be around me at any given time. I don't want him hurt again, Gilbert."

Gilbert nodded in understanding. "Still. I don't want you staying in that house alone,"

Antonio spoke softly. "He can stay here with me,"he offered, looking back at Lovino, who shook his head.

Feliciano woke up in the middle of this discussion due to the fact that the chatter around him was gaining volume without them noticing. He looked at his brother, sitting up from where he had been.

The tears in Feliciano's eyes made Lovino stop short. "Lovi, you promised me you wouldn't do this again,"he said quietly.

Lovino tilted his head down. "Lo so. Mi dispiace."he responded. "But Feli, you know I'd never actually leave you, right?"  
Feliciano didn't respond, so Lovino got up and moved to sit in front of Feliciano and Ludwig. He reached up, slipping an old necklace off. He met his brother's eyes before slipping the necklace over his head gently. He didn't say anything, just moved back to his seat against the wall away from the group. Or, attempted to. Feliciano caught his arm before he could, keeping him close by.

Feliciano picked the necklace pendant up with the hand he wasn't using to keep Lovino in his seat, examining it. "Is this the same one you got when you were ten?"

Lovino nodded.

_'When you were ten.'_ It echoed in the quiet room and Matthew shot straight up from where he had been relaxing against Gilbert, blinking at Lovino. "You didn't, did you?"he asked.

Lovino didn't respond, but he did meet Matthew's eyes. He half smiled before he pressed a finger to his lips before drawing a cross across his heart. It was an old sign that he'd taken to doing when he was around eleven, and Matthew recognised it. He huffed.

Nobody said anything Feliciano was busy running a finger over the faded words carved into the metal of the pendant. "Lovi? Is that why you used to go by Romano?"

Lovino looked over at his brother. "No."he said. "I went by Romano because nobody knew me as that. After our dad lost it? Fuck no, I was not going by Lovino around him for a while."

Feliciano read into that. Their old joke lied within it. He smiled at his brother, giving him a tight hug. "Just do me a favor. When you're trying to get things back to normal, don't get killed."

"Why would I? I have something to live for,"Lovino commented softly.

**Here. I blame our Su-san. He's the one who drilled this idea to me today during German. Not fun. **

**Hope you enjoyed, anyways. If you're confused as to what's going on here, good. You should be. It will be explained in the next couple of chapters. If you absolutely cannot wait, let me know and I'll key you in.**


	39. Chapter 39

**AN: Hola. **

**Here's the new chapter. By the way..just on a side-note, my bet-driven cosplay went wonderfully. I shall never cosplay as Norway again, though. I failed miserably. Sve got a kick out of it, but I didn't. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**GothicKitty1313: Yeah, things will..come together, I guess you could say, eventually. ; As far as my Su-san..he **_**does**_** talk to me a lot..but considering that outside of cosplay we **_**are**_** dating..that's probably why. Inside of cosplay, he does well at not saying much. Staying blank faced? Not so much. **

**Guest: ...your grammar and spelling amaze me, no offense. **

**Enjoy.**

"_I have something to live for."_

Feliciano was beyond glad that Lovino had said that. It meant he was content, if not happy, with his current life.

Everyone else was already asleep, but Feliciano stayed awake, thinking things over. Even Lovino was fast asleep against Antonio. But he knew that his brother would be _gone_ first thing the following morning. He wouldn't be Lovi.

So, the following morning, when Feliciano woke up to the sound of someone playing guitar and singing softly, he blinked his eyes open tiredly and stared at them until he realized it was Lovino. "Fratello?"he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Lovino looked up before he stopped playing. "Hey Feli."

Feliciano got up and moved to curl up beside his brother, who half smiled and pressed a kiss to his temple.

Gilbert looked over at the brothers. This wasn't like them. They never acted like this, even with each other.

Lovino's phone went off then and he glanced at it before he gave Feliciano an apologetic look. "Feli, I gotta go,"he said softly. "I promise I'll be back soon. Ti amo, fratello."

With that, the elder got up and headed out, setting the guitar against a wall as he did so.

_Ti amo._ Feliciano's eyes had gone wide when he heard that. The last time he'd said that, he'd come back hurt.

Francis sighed. "He'll be fine, Feli. He can hold his own,"he offered.

Feliciano looked over at Francis. "But..but..the last time he told me he loved me before he left like this, he came back with a bullet lodged in his arm, Francis. It's never a good thing if he says ti amo to me before going somewhere like this,"

The panic in the younger Italian's voice surprised everyone, but Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Feli. Breathe. Both of you are going to be fine. You act like we haven't been planning all morning,"

That calmed Feliciano down a little bit, but it still wasn't much, it wasn't enough to get him to relax.

That day was one of the tensest the group had ever gone through. Lovino came back around six and Feliciano automatically got up, moving to check his brother over for injuries.

"Oh, calm down, you fucking worrywart,"Lovino said, rolling his eyes.

But Feliciano didn't miss the way that Lovino held his side. "What happened!"he demanded, crossing his arms.

Lovino held his free hand up in surrender and let his other one drop.

_Oh. Good, just a minor cut,_ Feliciano thought before pulling his brother to the couch and finding a first aid kit so he could doctor his brother. Like he used to do when he got hurt like this.

Ludwig watched this curiously. "So, what happened?"  
"Someone had bad aim with a throwing knife. I just got cuffed by it on my walk back. It's nothing, could have been worse."

Feliciano glowered. "You could've had a knife stuck in your side, Lovi. Worse is not the word to use."he huffed.

Lovino nodded once in understanding. He let his brother finish before giving him a hug. "You worry too much,"he murmured.

"Of course I do,"Feliciano mumbled.

Lovino winced when Feliciano pulled him into a tight hug. "Feli, I can't breathe,"he managed.

Feliciano released him and gave him a searching look. "So, what were you doing?"  
"I went to talk with someone about performing at some bars and stuff for money until I could get a stable job,"Lovino said softly. "I was just stupid and took a few lesser known shortcuts on the way back,"

Feliciano nodded and let his brother get up again.

After Lovino disappeared down the hall, Feliciano sighed. "Why does he always end up hurt?"he grumbled.

"I've been asking that same question since I met him,"Gilbert commented. "But..he does this because he cares, so at least it's not because he's masochistic or anything,"

Feliciano gave Gilbert a deadpan look. "You need to shut up,"he warned. "Because I don't feel like listening to your snide remarks,"

Gilbert blinked in surprise. Feliciano had _never_ snapped at him like that. Ever.

The group fell silent until Lovino came back into the room and spoke. "So..who feels up to helping me with dinner?"

Antonio rolled his eyes, getting up to go help Lovino in the kitchen.

Things settled after that. Lovino was back to normal.

Dinner was uneventful. Feliciano ended up curling up afterwards between Lovino and Ludwig, listening to the conversation around him.

After a while, Lovino looked at his brother, frowning. He was never this quiet. Silence lasted for a moment before Lovino spoke. "Feli? I have something for you to hear,"

Feliciano met his brother's gaze, so Lovino started singing softly, keeping his voice just loud enough to be heard from a short distance.

"_Until the day I die, I'll spill my heart for you...for you."_

Feliciano knew the song. Lovino used to sing it for him quite often. He nodded, letting Lovino know he could stop.

Lovino did so, but tilted his head. "I mean it when I say that as long as I'm alive that I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe. If that means getting shot for you, I will. So stop being such a worrywart. If I can avoid it, I'm not going to get hurt, because I have to look after you,"he said quietly.

Feliciano met Lovino's gaze once again and tilted his head.

A silent question.

Do you really mean that?

Lovino half smiled. "Lo giuro sulla mia vita, ho intenzione di essere qui per voi. Fino a quando posso essere."he said quietly, making a crossing motion over his heart and gaining a soft smile from Feliciano for it.

Feliciano nodded that he understood and gave his brother a gentle hug, careful not to hurt him more than he already was.

Lovino gave a tilted smile. "By the way, Feli?"he asked.

Feliciano blinked at him. "What..?" He didn't like that smile. He knew where Lovino had learned it from. He _hated_ that smile.

Lovino reached out, taking the pendant of the necklace that he'd put around his brother's neck earlier and twisting it slightly in his hand to where he could drag a small blade from a hiding spot. He held it up in Feliciano's view. "Keep this necklace on when you go somewhere. You never know when you might be able to use this, keep yourself safe,"he whispered, putting the blade back.

Gilbert was giving Lovino a look. "What the hell, man?! You wore that necklace to _school._ Do you know how much trouble comes with having any sort of weapon on school grounds.

"At least I didn't have a gun,"Lovino responded. "It's not like I'd ever use something like that if I didn't have to. I'm not evil,"

Gilbert still gave him a disapproving look, but he said nothing further.

Antonio wrapped his arms around Lovino, gaining his attention while Feliciano examined the pendant closer, a bit surprised. "Lovi, you realize that that necklace could get both of you in trouble."

"It's also been the determining factor of if I lived or not before. I don't want to hear your speech, Toni, no offense. Feli and me..we aren't cruel, it's perfectly safe for us to have that kind of necklace. We'd never use the blade unless our lives were in danger or something."Lovino said, looking back at his boyfriend.

He went to continue, but Antonio pressed a soft kiss to his lips, effectively making him stop talking since he hadn't expected that.

Antonio gave him a look when he pulled back. "I'm not saying you shouldn't have it. I'm saying be careful with it,"

Lovino nodded and sighed.  
Feliciano nodded as well, though his nod was a bit more absent seeming as he frowned at the pendant. He'd finally got around to reading the inscription on the back of the necklace. Pure Italian.

Silence fell again. Then Ludwig spoke up. "How'd you even get ahold of something like this?"he asked, motioning towards the pendant on the necklace.

Lovino shrugged. "I have another one just like it at home. They were given to me by nonno a few years ago, back when I was around eleven. Said that when I felt it was time, to give Feli one of them."

Ludwig nodded that he understood.

The day hadn't turned out as planned, but that wasn't a bad thing, really.

**Here. Missed the bus, worked on this in my spare time while waiting on a ride to school. Hope you enjoyed!**


	40. Chapter 40

**AN: Hei.**

**Here's the new chapter for you.**

**To those who reviewed:  
ThatCaveYouCallAChest: I've seen the video. I watched it yesterday. Cruel as it may be, that is why I chose to use that song. Because it gave off just the right message for what I was aiming for - which is the fact that Lovi would die for his brother, much like Prussia did for Germany in the video. I apologize if it was too strong, but...it got the message across.**

**Spamano4ever: I'll give you a hint. It's something to do with the trivia posts on Romano's character profile. I promise, though, it's minor, and it's not going to end in him getting killed or anything.**

**Shiralala: Well, I'm just glad people aren't mad at me for it. Because I was trying to create that kind of situation.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino stayed awake long after everyone else had fallen asleep, staring at the ceiling blankly. He knew that Feliciano was only trying to look out for him, but he would get hurt doing so. He didn't want to watch his brother get hurt due to his own stupidity. It was his own fault for getting involved period.

A lot of time passed from the time that the others fell asleep to when Lovino finally drifted off himself. The only difference was that this time, instead of it just being one of those black-out nights, his dreams were full of nightmares. He yelped when he woke maybe an hour and a half later, waking Antonio up by accident.

Antonio rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "Lovi? You okay?"

Lovino sighed. "Yeah. Go back to sleep,"he said softly, keeping his voice quiet so as to not wake anyone else up.

Antonio moved to push the Italian's hair off his face gently and met his eyes. "Nightmare?"he asked.

Lovino nodded.

Antonio chuckled. "Get over here, silly,"

For the first time since they'd begun the habit of staying over at someone's house as a group, Lovino had fallen asleep away from Antonio. The Spaniard hadn't been too happy about sleeping without Lovino there with him, but he hadn't argued, knowing that Lovino only wanted a bit of space.

Lovino smiled faintly, moving to lay with Antonio silently.

As soon as the Spaniard had his arms wrapped around Lovi gently, he spoke again. "Want to tell me about what that nightmare was about?"

Lovino sighed, taking in Antonio's scent. "...not really. I just...normally, it wouldn't scare me so much..but it's so real now.."he grumbled. "I keep dreaming about loosing Feli as well..he's all I have left..I can't lose him too."

Antonio kissed the top of Lovino's head. "Is that why you're getting him to stay with Gil and Ludwig?"he asked quietly.

Lovino nodded once. "I don't want him back in the crossfire. I don't want any of you in the crossfire,"

"Crossfire of what?"

Lovino was quiet for a long moment. "I..."he started. "Nonno..he...listen, it's a long story."

Antonio sighed. "Fine. After everyone else wakes up?"

Lovino nodded, falling back to sleep easily.

Antonio smiled faintly, drifting back to sleep himself.

The following morning, the two woke up a bit later than the others, and Lovino immediately glanced at his watch before shooting up. "Damn it!"he said. "I gotta go."

"Lovi,"Antonio said softly. "You can stay back for long enough to get dressed and eat and stuff, you know,"

Lovino looked at Antonio, fear hiding in his eyes. "I can't, Toni. Like I said, it's a long story. Talk to you guys later,"

When Lovino all but bolted out of the house, Feliciano frowned. "He's trying to curve what nonno did before he died."he mumbled, scowling in realization. That was never good.

Gilbert blinked at the younger of the brothers. "What?"he asked.

"Let Lovino tell you."Feliciano said, getting up and disappearing out back.

The tension didn't let up all day. When Lovino came back in, Feliciano snapped back into his normal persona, shooting to his brother's side when he saw the already-prominent bruises clearly displayed on his arms. "What happened?"  
Lovino glanced at his brother for a moment before he sighed. "It's nothing, Feli."he mumbled, brushing past his brother in silence. He collapsed near the back wall, leaning against it tiredly.

Antonio went to place a hand on his shoulder, but Lovino shied away from him, so he stopped and let his hand drop to his side.

Once things settled down, Antonio spoke. "So, you said you'd explain today,"

Lovino sighed, moving to lean against his boyfriend tiredly. "Yeah, yeah. What do you want to know, bastard?"he grumbled.

Feliciano spoke. "Well, I want to know where you ran off to this morning looking scared for your life,"he said, crossing his arms.

Lovino looked up at Feliciano. "Someplace I'm never going again,"he said. "I promise you that. I just had some business to finish for nonno with his...friend."

"I want the full explanation, Lovino. I'm not a child anymore, I can handle the truth,"Feliciano said.

Lovino's eyes hardened slightly. "Can you really, Veneziano?"he countered.

Feliciano flinched slightly, but he nodded. He remembered the last person who'd called him by his middle name. Not nice people.

Lovino examined his brother before he sighed. "Sorry, Feli. I..I guess I should have thought that one through. Forget I said anything,"he grumbled before pushing himself up again. "You remember how nonno was always running back and forth between work and an old 'friend's' house right?"

Feliciano nodded once.

"I figured out about a month before he passed that it was an old mafia person. Fucking douche. I was pissed at nonno for putting you in the line of fire of those guys, too. I swore then and there that no matter what, I'd do whatever it took to keep you from getting caught in that."

Feliciano examined his brother's expression. "And you got caught in it instead."he deadpanned.

Lovino was quiet. He seemed to be thinking something over. He spoke after a while. "Today was the last day I had to show up. I'm done, I'm out, you're safe."

Gilbert was watching his 'best friend'. He frowned. "Lovi...you said Feli's safe. What about you?"

"I don't know."

Lovely.

Lovino sighed. "But, as far as I'm concerned, that doesn't matter much. I know how to protect myself,"he said. "But still..Feli..he has to stay out of the crossfire until things settle. So please don't question what I do."

Ludwig was watching Lovino curiously, but seemed as if he understood something better.

Antonio was quiet for the longest before he spoke softly. "That's why you're scared? Because you think Feli will end up hurt or something by these guys?"

"Neither Feli or me have been good with taking in our surroundings before. But..I guess..since I got caught in this mess, I have learned a few tricks. But..with Feli around? They'd be hard to do, because he hates violence, and they definitely aren't peaceful."Lovino said, looking over at Antonio. "And I think it's completely founded for me to worry for him."

Antonio nodded in understanding, but said nothing else on the matter. Instead, he brought up a new topic. "So, who's up for a game?"he asked, offereing up a distraction.

Lovino smiled at his boyfriend before he settled a good bit. That was perfect.

**Here you go. And this is it. I will never follow any more ideas given to me by my group's Sweden, because this is what happens.**


	41. Chapter 41

**AN: Hello, loves. **

**Here's another chapter for you. Yes, I know. I have no life. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Just some extra reassureance - Lovi's gonna be fine. Some trials, sure, but that's normal. That's life. He'll be okay. **

**GothicKitty1313: That cool pendant can get you in a lot of trouble. Su-san and me did research. It took us two hours to find the necklace in description. They don't sell them. You might could find an Italian flag pendant thick enough to make one, or you could make one from clay, but be careful with it! And as for the Mafia..it's more like Roma got involved in it by sticking his nose where it didn't belong and Lovino got pulled into it to keep Feliciano safe due to some stupid actions on both his part and his nonno's part.**

**Guest: I'm glad you like the story. But, you do need to get your homework done. Don't hurt your grade! That's much more important! I've just based this off my friend's antics at the beginning and went from there..**

**Penguin Braginski: Prucan..before I wrote it as a sidepairing here, I had never wrote it before. I'd actually never written any sort of romance with those two characters with anyone before this. This made me do the research and look into their characters, and ironicly they do fit together.**

**Enjoy.  
_**

That night, Lovino stayed up after everyone else. He was currently being held like a teddy bear by Antonio, but it didn't do anything but let him know he wasn't alone like he was so used to. Still, it didn't stop the silent tears that fell from his eyes.

The day had finally set into his mind. He'd done what he had to do to keep his little brother safe. And he had paid for it.

At some point around three in the morning, Antonio woke to Lovino's silent sobs and he immediately was wide awake. "Lovi? What's the matter? Have you gotten any sleep?"

Lovino only turned to hide his face in Antonio's chest, hiding his quiet sobs.

Still, it wasn't enough. Not long after, Gilbert flipped a lamp on, looking over at the two quietly. Everyone was up, whether from the lamp or the sound of sobbing depended on the person.

"What's going on?"Gilbert asked, looking at Antonio.

Antonio shook his head, signalling that he didn't know. He kept Lovino wrapped in his arms, though.

Feliciano frowned. This wasn't like Lovino. "Fratello?"

Lovino pulled himself from Antonio's arms, looking over at Feliciano, who got up and moved to hug his brother.

"Why are you crying?"

_God, I wish I could tell you, Feli. But it would kill your innocence._ Lovino thought.

Feliciano's frown deepened when he noticed the red staining Lovino's shirt. "Lovi? You're bleeding,"he murmured, pulling back.

Antonio got up and went to get the first aid kit again before he returned. "Lovino, could you remove the shirt so that we can get you patched up?"he asked quietly.

Francis was frowning at the scene. It was so familiar to when he'd first met Lovino in middle school when they were only thirteen.

Lovino pulled the bloodied shirt over his head and Antonio let out a gasp. "What the fuck happened?"he demanded.

Feliciano _really_ didn't like the sound of that.

Lovino didn't reply.

Francis got up and wandered over, taking a look at Lovino's back. "Well it's no wonder you're crying. That looks like it hurts like hell. C'mon, up. We can't do anything for you, I'm taking you to a doctor,"

Lovino shook his head. "No."he said. It was the first he'd said since they'd woken up and it was shaky.

Francis gave him a deadpan look. "Lovino Romano Vargas, do not be stubborn right now,"he said. "I mean it. Get up, let's go."

Feliciano tilted his head. "Can you even get up without hurting yourself?"he asked his brother.

Lovino shook his head.

Francis sighed. "Alright, so apparently that's not an option."

Antonio rolled his eyes, opening the first aid kit and setting about cleaning Lovino's back up carefully. Lovino let out a whimper and Feliciano grabbed one of his hands.

"I know, Lovi, it hurts."Antonio murmured. "But it'll hurt worse if I don't do this,"

Lovino nodded that he knew and let Antonio continue with what he was doing.

Silence fell then. It was broken every so often by a hiss from Lovino.

As soon as Antonio finished cleaning the Italian's back, he paused to examine some of the wounds. "What on earth happened?"

Lovino slumped against Feliciano and shook his head, signalling that he wasn't going to answer.

Francis was watching Lovino curiously. The normally fiery Italian was terrified. Even he could tell that much. That was never good. "Lovino..who did this?"he asked. "Because I know you. This is no accident or you wouldn't be so scared to tell us what happened."

"Just go back to sleep, guys."Lovino mumbled.

Antonio rolled his eyes. "Alright, Lovi. Up. Let me finish getting you patched up."

Lovino pushed himself back up fully so that Antonio could continue his work.

As soon as Antonio had Lovino's back as patched up as he possibly could, he stopped and put the first aid kit up.

Feliciano was examining Lovino's expression. While he had a mask up hiding his emotions, Feliciano knew his brother well enough to know that he was scared.

Lovino met his brother's eyes for a moment before he spoke quietly, in Italian so as to disguise his words from the others. "Ricordi come ho usato per essere?"he asked.

Feliciano nodded once.

"Devi promettere che non sarà così. Promettimi che."

Feliciano frowned, but spoke softly. "I promise.."he said. Although his voice was hesitatent, he crossed his heart like Lovino always did and let Lovino relax slightly.

"Good. I don't want you hurt,"he mumbled.

Feliciano nodded that he understood. "Get some rest, Lovi. Because first thing in the morning, someone's driving you to the doctor, and we're going to make sure you get patched up for sure."

Antonio nodded and gently hugged Lovino, who let out a shaky breath.

Francis returned to his spot and Gilbert gave them a look. "Seriously, get some rest, guys."he mumbled, cutting the light off after Feliciano returned to his own spot.

After that, things settled again.

The following morning, Lovino awoke to the sound of quiet chatter. He felt like shit, but it was okay. He had expected to.

Antonio gave him a sad look as he sat up, frowning slightly as he did so. "You need to just stay put,"

"You worry too much. I've had worse,"Lovino mumbled, pushing himself up carefully. Or attempting to. Gilbert paused in his treck across the room, helping him up dispite the arguments that he didn't need the help before he finished what he had been doing.

Oh, that morning was not going to go over well.

**I apologize. But this 'filler' chapter is very important to the progression. After this, I promise I will never do something like this again here if I can at all help it. I'm sorry. **


	42. Chapter 42

**AN: Hej.**

**Once again, I'm writting when we are on the verge of a horrid storm. Just a forewarning. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Lovi's okay, I promise! I'd never, never, never put him through enough to kill him. He's okay. A bit shook up and injured? Yes. But Toni and Feli and the others care so much about him..they aren't going to let him hurt too much!**

**Penguin Braginski: Indeed, he will be okay. Toni would die before he let anything bad happen to him around him. He cares so much for Lovi. Don't worry too much.**

**Enjoy.**

Antonio was the one who drove Lovino to the doctor's office, and he got a few surprised looks from the nurses when he helped Lovino back to the back when the Italian's name was called to head back.

"Well, well, I'm surprised you got him here at all,"

Antonio looked back at the nurse curiously. "What do you mean?"

Silence before she spoke again. "I've been working with both of the Vargas boys since they were children, no more than six. Lovi here in particular never came unless he had to."she said. "So. He had to. What's going on?"

"Wish I could tell you,"Antonio said, glancing at Lovino when the Italian grabbed his hand to tell him in silence to watch himself. "All I know is that I got woke up at three last night to him crying and ended up having to doctor his back."

The nurse's eyes hardened and she nodded, looking to Lovino. Her eyes had once again softened. "Can you let me see your back?"she asked.

Lovino hesitated before he unbuttoned the shirt of Antonio's he was wearing and pulled it off, turning to let her see his back. She blinked in surprise before removing the guaze gently, careful not to disturb the wounds as she did so.

Silence fell and filled the room before she spoke again. "These look like they're from some sort of weapon. Something much worse than just a belt. What happened, Lovino?"

Lovino didn't answer for a moment before he sighed. "Just got caught in a lot of trouble,"he responded.

Thankfully, nobody pressed on. "Yes, well. As long as you don't disturb these too much, you should heal up with little to no scars,"she offered, placing new guaze around the Italian carefully before allowing him to put the shirt back on. "Now..Antonio, right? While you guys are here, I want to know why you were the one to bring him instead of his brother."

Just before Antonio answered, Lovino jumped in. "Feli's busy trying to keep his boyfriend and _his _brother from tearing someone's head off for causing so much trouble for everyone. Besides, he's fragile enough without being around me while I'm hurt, I won't allow him to ruin his innocence. Toni offered to drive me so the others could talk,"

"Actually, I offered to bring you here because I care too much to see you so hurt,"Antonio corrected quietly, gaining the first smile Lovino had given that day.

The nurse smiled faintly. "Be careful you two. And Antonio? Keep Lovino as comfortable as possible, don't let him stress. Because when he stresses, it causes injury to him and everyone around him. You guys are good to go,"

Lovino huffed and left then, but Antonio rolled his eyes and caught his hand, bringing it up to kiss the knuckles.

Lovino bit back a smile at this action.

When they got back to Antonio's, it was to see everyone being relatively calm. Matthew and Gilbert were once again playing Pokemon to pass the time while Ludwig and Feliciano watched curiously to have a distraction. Francis was folding and refolding a piece of cloth, cutting bits out every so often to make a design. The others were talking quietly about things.

When Antonio and Lovino came in, this ended. Francis looked up. "Mes amis!"he greeted. "What's the news?"

Antonio rolled his eyes. "He'll be just fine. As long as he stays relaxed and doesn't decide to go off on someone, that is."  
Lovino shoved his shoulder lightly, but Antonio only drew him closer in retaliation.

"Jerk,"Lovino mumbled, kissing his boyfriend's cheek and moving to sit down on the ground a bit away from the others.

Antonio chuckled faintly, but nothing more was said on the topic.

That evening, Feliciano and Lovino decided they were wanting to fix dinner for the group and spent a good amount of time in the kitchen.

Dinner was a quiet affair, and things calmed down a good bit.

Lovino shooed the others away so he could get some quiet time and do the dishes afterwards. He hated when people fussed over him like they'd been doing today. He didn't need people to fuss over him like that.

As soon as Lovino headed back into the living room, he plopped down on the floor on his stomach and buried his head in a pillow that Gilbert threw to him. He needed some rest after such a hectic day.

Antonio rolled his eyes, sitting down next to him and gently rubbing his back.

Lovino hummed, lifting his head to look at Antonio. "What're ya doing?"he asked.

Antonio half smiled. "Nothing."he responded. "Get some rest, cariño."

Lovino nodded, but didn't settle back down to get some rest. Not now that Antonio had disturbed him.

Gilbert was watching them curiously. But he didn't say anything. Instead, he distracted everyone else so the two could talk.

Antonio examined Lovino's form. "You feeling okay?"he asked quietly.

Lovino nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Bout as good as possible when it feels like your back's on fire. Just give me two minutes,"he mumbled, letting his head fall back onto the pillow.

Antonio rolled his eyes, shifting slightly where he was sitting. "You could try soaking in lukewarm water. That tends to relax people."he said. "And if you relax, your back will stop hurting so much,"

Lovino huffed. "That's not too good an idea. I've learned from the past that I really shouldn't soak in water if I'm hurt. Just let me get some sleep and I'll be feeling better in the morning,"he said quietly, meeting Antonio's eyes.

"I want to help you, though, Lovi."Antonio said quietly. "But I don't want to hurt you.."he added, his voice dropping even quieter. He carefully ran a hand over Lovino's back, smoothing the guaze - which had crumpled slightly on the Italian's back - out.

Lovino sighed quietly, shifting. "Why do you keep doing that?"he asked quietly.

Antonio shrugged. "I was trying to smooth the guaze out again,"he answered. "Why? I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Lovino gave a faint smile and shook his head. "No. It feels nice, actually, because your hands are like..freezing right now. It's a nice contrast."

Antonio chuckled, leaning down to kiss Lovino softly once. "Well, I figured out a way to help you then."he murmured as he pulled away.

"Nuh-uh. Stay,"Lovino said softly. He knew he was acting childish by doing so, but he did feel better with Antonio around because he knew that Antonio cared about him. It was nice after so long of being alone outside of his brother and nonno.

Antonio rolled his eyes. "Shush,"he mumbled. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to let you rest,"

Lovino shifted so that his head rested in Antonio's lap as the Spaniard leaned against the wall behind him.

Silence fell over them as Antonio gently rubbed his back.

Lovino fell asleep like that not long after.

Antonio glanced down when he felt Lovino's breathing even out and deepen. He smiled faintly.

Gilbert looked back up and smiled. "I see you've soothed him to sleep,"he said softly, careful not to wake Lovino.

Antonio nodded. "His back is probably killing him, though."

Matthew spoke. "Normal. He's had this happen a couple times before. The first time, I was over and I figured out that if he said his back hurt or something, rubbing his back or giving him a massage really helped him relax and go back to normal. He'd get all tense and mean otherwise, and it was dangerous to be around him,"he said absently, before looking up from his book.

Antonio nodded. "So, this has happened before?"he asked, sighing. "Does he know how to handle himself when he's hurt like this?"

Matthew shook his head. "Feli and me used to keep him on bedrest until he healed, but we can't do that anymore. He got into trouble for it the first time, so...he just tends to wear a back brace and stuff until he heals. He got an okay from the doctor the first time, so he can do that."

Feliciano nodded. "Yeah. Ludwig and me went to get his brace today so he could have it for school tomorrow!"he said.

School. That wasn't going to go over well.

Francis tensed. "School. What are we supposed to do if someone decides to pick up torturing Lovi again tomorrow, because they do that occassionally still."

Gilbert huffed. "We'll keep an eye out for him. Like we used to."

Antonio tuned this out, letting the others figure the plan out. He looked back down at Lovino, who was sound asleep and had finally relaxed fully.

He hoped things got better from that point onwards. But, even if they didn't, he wasn't going anywhere. He'd be there to help Lovino. Always.

**And there ya go. **


	43. Chapter 43

**AN: Hey, guys. **

**Here's the new chapter. Still storming pretty bad here on my end. So...**

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: I'm glad you like it! I think the reason I can write that relationship between Toni and Lovi so well is because I'm a lot like Lovi in the fact that I don't trust people enough to let them close to me. Lovi..he's just not the kind to ask for help from anyone. Not unless it was his brother or someone who was in trouble. Never for himself. The Vargas brothers are **_**done**_** with the Mafia by choice. By force? Maybe, maybe not. You'll just have to wait and see. **

**Spamano4ever: Indeed he is. **

The following morning, Lovino was up and showered and halfway dressed before he ran into an issue. His back brace. He didn't have any clue how he was supposed to do that and the guaze on his own without hurting himself further. He cursed. He grabbed said items, a scowl firmly in place as he grabbed his button down tee as well, and headed into the living room. "Feli, help."

Feliciano looked up from where he was eating his breakfast. He immediately got up and took the guaze and brace from his brother before he snatched the shirt and tossed it to Antonio, who caught it easily so it was out of the way.

It didn't take long for Feliciano to be done with the guaze, but even the younger italian hesitated when he started with the brace. "I don't know how to do this part, Lovi.."he admitted. He'd never been the one to help his brother with the brace.

Antonio chuckled, taking over from Feliciano and letting him go back to his breakfast. He gently put the brace on Lovino, who winced slightly at first contact, but said nothing. As soon as Antonio had the brace fastened tight enough that it would stay put but not cut off Lovino's breathing, he pulled the Italian's shirt off his shoulder and helped him put it on. "It's odd, seeing you so dependent on someone else."he admitted.

Lovino turned to look at Antonio after he buttoned his shirt up. "That's because I hate it. I like doing things on my own."

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "I know,"he murmured, kissing the Italian lightly and half smiling. "Go finish getting ready. Before Gil gets back and starts wrecking havoc again."

Lovino nodded and set about finishing getting ready for the day.

Gilbert had showed up just as soon as Lovino finished getting ready, pausing to give Matthew a quick kiss before he disappeared into the kitchen.

Lovino raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know what that idiot's up to now?"he asked.

Matthew shook his head. "No. You don't. Come on, we have to go. He'll be along in a bit,"

As soon as the group walked into the school, Vash, who was normally stoic and didn't express affection to others, swept Lovino into a tight hug, elicting a pained yelp from the Italian.

"I can't breathe, bastard, let go."

Vash let go and backed away, his eyes scanning Lovino's face. "Feli called yesterday. What the fuck were you thinking, getting involved with people like that?!"

Lovino blinked. He'd never seen Vash lose his cool like this before. "I'm fine, let it go. Since when do you care, anyway?"

"I always have."Vash countered. "Feli and you are like little brothers to me."

Lovino sighed. "Well..I would at least appreciate you not injuring me further, at least."he snapped.

Vash nodded, walking with Lovino to where the others had seated themselves to let the two talk. "You're at least done with those guys, right?"

Lovino nodded once. "Yeah. Saturday was the last day I had to show up and I got the fuck beat out of me for showing up 'cause I was late,"he grumbled.

Vash examined the Italian before he sighed. "At least keep me updated on how things are going for you and Feli, Lovino."

Lovino nodded and rejoined the group while Vash went off to find Roderich. He huffed and plopped down beside Antonio carefully.

Feliciano gave him a look. "Are you okay..?"he asked.

"..that fucking trigger-happy Swiss is a lot stronger than he looks. He just about cracked a rib. Through the brace."Lovino responded.

Feliciano gave a faint smile. "He does it because he cares."

Antonio walked with Lovino to his first block and he paused before he let go of the Italian's hand. "If you don't feel like staying..."he said. "Just let me know.."

Lovino nodded that he understood, leaning up to kiss the Spaniard before he disappeared into his class. His mood had fallen quickly throught the morning's activity. After Vash's greeting that morning, he'd caught hell from some of the other students.

Nothing really got to him as much as a note handed to him on his way to the cafeteria alone by someone he didn't know. He readd it as he entered the cafeteria. He stopped dead in his tracks at one point, finishing the note before his expression fell.

He joined the others, but met no one's eyes.

Gilbert frowned at how the Italian was acting. It wasn't like him. "What's going on?"

Lovino shook his head, re-reading the note in shock.

Antonio came up to them then with a bright smile showing. He sat down and moved to kiss Lovino's cheek only to be pushed away. He frowned. "What's the matter?"he asked.

Lovino held the note up before he handed it to Antonio.

The Spaniard frowned, but took it and skimmed it before he blinked. He tilted his head. "What..?"

Antonio shook his head and read through it again, paying closer attention to what was said.

After that, Antonio looked back up at Lovino. "You know I didn't write this, right?"

Lovino nodded once.

"Then why are you mad at me?"Antonio asked softly.

"I'm not."

Antonio tilted his head. "Then what's going on?"

Lovino shook his head again, signalling he didn't want to talk about it.

Antonio sighed. He could tell that Lovino had reached his breaking point by the way the Italian was shaking. "Te amo,"he said softly, taking one of Lovino's hands. "Just try to calm down, okay?"

Lovino rested against Antonio for a moment before he spoke. "Toni..we need to talk,"he whispered, looking up at the Spaniard, who nodded and got up, leading Lovino out of hearing range so they could talk.

Feliciano noticed that Antonio had left the note laying on the table and grabbed it, reading through it curiously. He sighed.

Everyone could tell that Lovino had reached his breaking point when they saw Antonio wipe tears away. He led the Italian back to the table and let Lovino curl up against him.

Francis frowned. This just wasn't..it wasn't like Lovino. Today must have been brutal so far.

**Here. I gotta go to bed now..**

**Auf wiedersehen!**


	44. Chapter 44

**AN: Hallo!**

**Here's the new chappy!**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: ..better now..?**

**GothicKitty1313: True. It will be hard. But..I don't believe any of them know how to just **_**give up**_** so, they'll fight through it. Like always.**

**Mighty Agamemnon: That will actually be revealed this chapter. The note..probably not. Bits and pieces will be revealed through speech and stuff, but otherwise...**

**Penguin Braginski: Not all of it. Bits and pieces of it will be revealed throughout the story. Things have been bad for Lovi. For all of them. But things do get bad before they get better, so...**

**Enjoy.**

The end of that school day brought around a lot of yelling on Lovino's part. Vash and Roderich had caught up with him on his way out to meet up with the others, and he was still yelling at the two when he reached the group.

Gilbert bit back the amused smile at this.

"..I don't _care_ about your _stupid fucking_ suggestion, Vash. I get that you're trying to help, but please just _stop_. Let me do this on my own."

Antonio sighed, getting up from where he was sitting and moving to pull Lovino to him gently. "Hey, calm down,"he murmured softly.

"Don't tell me to calm down,"Lovino snapped, pushing Antonio away from him and huffing, giving him an icy look.

Antonio raised an eyebrow. Lovino never did that to him any more. Hadn't for ages.

Roderich spoke up softly. "Vash and me found him in the hall. It's a long story,"he offered.

Antonio sighed, nodding in understanding. "Thanks,"he said before looking at Lovino.

Francis spoke up from his place nearby. "Let me guess, people went back to fucking with you."he said, a frown evident in his voice.

Lovino looked to Francis, but said nothing on the matter.

After a long while, Lovino spoke, his voice softer this time than it had been before. "Can we just go?"

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah, sure."he said softly.

While the others got up, Vash looked to Lovino. "Listen..I know you don't like people helping you. But don't push everyone away due to it. Let them help you."he said quietly. "And if Feli or you need anything to help you out..let me know."

Lovino nodded that he understood.

When Lovino went to walk away, Vash called out. "Oh, yeah, Lovi?"

Lovino paused, looking back at him curiously. Everyone else had stopped to wait on Lovino to catch up. Feliciano was half smiling when he noticed the faint smile showing on Vash's face.

"Ich liebe dich, kliener bruder. Stay out of trouble. All of you."

Lovino rolled his eyes, flipping him off, but he offered a faint smile before he left.

Gilbert turned to look back at Lovino as they walked, letting Ludwig guide him through the roads so he didn't run into anything. "So. Little bruder?"he questioned.

Lovino shrugged. "He kinda adopted Feli and me as little brothers when we were younger. He's not so bad.."

Gilbert nodded once. "Alright, I'll take your word on it.."he said, though he seemed hesitant to do so.

Feliciano grinned. "Vash is actually...very kind. He just hides that."he offered. "He's always looked out for Lovi and me when nonno was gone or busy or something."

Antonio smiled softly. "I think it's nice,"he offered, catching Lovino's hand in his own.

Lovino looked up at him before managing a faint smile.

Once the group got to the Beilschmidt home, things settled down and fell into a simple routine.

Still, the others poked fun at Lovino for the scene at school with Vash. It was sweet to them that someone cared that much for the Vargas brothers.

Gilbert smiled faintly, sharing a knowing look with Ludwig, who tilted his head in return.

As such, the prussian decided to speak up. "So..Lovi, Feli?"he said, making the Italian brothers look to him curiously. "I want to know...how did you two meet Vash?"

Feli perked up. "We met him when we were still in pre-school. Nonno couldn't come pick us up because of his work schedule that week, and Vash noticed us sitting off by ourselves to wait for him. He spoke with his parents and invited Lovi and me to come to his home until nonno got off work."

"And it became habit every week. If nonno had work, we went to Vash's home until this year,"Lovino finished. "Then I stopped going because of Roderich starting to hang around and Feli just stayed with me."

Antonio tilted his head. "Something the matter with Roderich?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head. "He can be a bit too serious, but..it's more that I'm not a people person and it was just..I can only handle being around so many people at once without a flip out."

Feliciano grinned. "He's gotten better about being around people, though."

Matthew spoke. "I'd think that that would explain why Vash said he was surprised to see you showing affection to anyone,"he said.

Lovino shrugged. "Yeah."he said softly.

Antonio smiled faintly, putting his arms around Lovino, frowning when he felt the brace. "We have to change the guaze, you know."he told Lovino.

Lovino groaned. "Damn it."he grumbled. He grabbed his bag, digging through it.

"You forgot the guaze at my house, didn't you?"Antonio asked after Lovino cursed again.

Ludwig got up and disappeared for a moment, coming back with a roll of guaze. He tossed it to Lovino, who caught it and gave a thankful smile.

Lovino went to get up, but Antonio tightened his grip around Lovino's waist to keep him put.

"No. You can stay in here so that I can help you."he said. "It doesn't matter,"

Lovino huffed.

Feliciano half smiled, giving Lovino an apologetic look before he spoke. "He's a bit self conscious, Toni."he offered. "He only ever does something like he did this morning if he knows it's unavoidable,"

"This is,"Antonio said softly. Then he tapped Lovino's arm gently. "Shirt off, that way we can get this stupid brace off you and change the guaze,"

Lovino did so in silence, shifting uncomfortably.

Antonio backed off to give him his space, knowing that otherwise he would make the Italian more uncomfortable than he already was.

As soon as he had the shirt laying in his lap, Antonio carefully undid the brace and set it aside. He sighed. Blood had seeped into the guaze already. He was careful as he unwound the guaze from around Lovino, placing it on one of his knees before taking the roll of guaze from Lovino and rewrapping his torso. "Just leave the brace off for the night, Lovi."he said softly.

Lovino nodded, putting his shirt back on as soon as Antonio finished what he was doing and got up to throw the bloodied guaze away.

Francis sighed. "Lovino..I don't get how you have so many self-image issues. You act like you hate yourself,"he pointed out.

"That's 'cause I do."Lovino countered, looking up at Francis. "Wouldn't you if you were in my shoes?"

Feliciano scowled. "Don't say stuff like that! And don't imply it, either."

Lovino nodded once, falling silent.

Antonio was frowning slightly as he sat back down and pulled Lovino against his carefully so that the Italian was seated between his legs with his back resting against his chest. "Leave him be, guys. All of us hate something about ourselves. Why question others as to why they do? It's hypocritical."

That ended the conversation then and there and let Lovino relax a lot against Antonio.

At some point before dinner that evening, Antonio shifted, his arm brushing Lovino's side and gaining a yelp and a chuckle. He grinned mischieviously. "Oh, are you ticklish, Lovi?"he asked, ghosting his fingers over Lovino's side.

The Italian squirmed slightly. "Quit!"he said through soft laughter.

This scene got a few faint smiles from the others and Antonio stopped, knowing that Lovino was hurt and that he could make it worse if he didn't. So instead, he kissed Lovino's cheek and went back to listening to Matthew and Gilbert bicker about what genre of movie was the best. The two were cuddled up as well, but they were to where they could meet each others' eyes while they spoke.

The evening settled into a pretty decent one. Even dinner went by without a hitch. Despite everything, it had been a good day.

**Here. **


	45. Chapter 45

**AN: Hola!**

**Here's another chapter for you guys. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: He is healing. Slowly, but healing nonetheless. **

**Enjoy.**

Lovino woke Antonio up at two that morning. "Toni, let me up."he said quietly.

Antonio didn't question him, releasing his grip on the Italian and letting him get up and disappear down the hall past the kitchen.

Five minutes later, Lovino came back and laid back down, resting his head against Antonio's chest.

Antonio brushed the bangs out of Lovino's face and frowned at the warmth. "Are you feeling alright, cariño?"he asked quietly.

Lovino nodded, but he had hesitated, letting Antonio know it was a lie.

"You got sick, huh?"Antonio asked quietly.

Lovino nodded again.

Antonio pressed a kiss to Lovino's forehead and sighed. "Get some rest, Lovi. It'll make you feel better."

Lovino settled down again after that. He knew why he was sick. He always got sick when he was healing like this. It happened everytime. He didn't bother to tell Antonio the entire truth.

When Lovino woke up next time, it was around four thirty and Gilbert was starting to wake up. The Italian curled further in on himself and let himself drift a bit again. He didn't have to be up for another half hour.

Antonio woke up just before five and noticed that not only was Lovino still asleep while everyone else was up and moving, but that he had blood staining his lips. He frowned, rubbing one of Lovino's arms to wake him up.

Lovino blinked his eyes open and looked at Antonio. "What's with the blood?"he asked quietly, trying not to alert anyone else.

Feliciano heard him, though, and looked over to see that there were blood stains on his brother's lips and hand. He sighed. "Again, Lovi?"he asked.

Lovino groaned slightly. He just wanted some rest, damn it.

Gilbert looked over at Lovino for a moment before he sighed. "You feel up to school today?"

"Can I have a siesta at lunch, at least?"Lovino asked.

Gilbert nodded.

Lovino sat up and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine then."

Antonio let the Italian get up and sat up in silence.

As soon as Lovino disappeared to get a shower before school after grabbing his clothes, Antonio looked to Feliciano and the others. "What the hell's going on?"

Feliciano sighed. "Lovino...it's just...he is healing. He just..everytime something happens and he gets hurt really bad and has to heal like this..he does end up getting sick. It isn't often, thank god, but.."

"Don't tell me this is normal, Feli. He was puking blood last night,"Antonio said. "I thought he was just sick or I would've woke one of you up."

Gilbert sighed. "Listen to me, Antonio. Lovino..it's actually pretty normal for him to puke up blood. Something happened when he was little, it happens. He's perfectly fine, and he'll let you know if he needs help."

Antonio settled and nodded, letting it drop.

Lovino came back not long after, carrying his shirt and letting Antonio do the guaze and the brace before he put the shirt on.

Matthew spoke softly. "Hey, Lovi? Are we still going to go to book club this evening after school?"

"Wait, that's today?"Lovino asked, blinking at his friend. "I swore they said it was next week."

"No, it's today,"Matthew said softly.

Lovino sighed and shook his head. "I don't know man. Maybe. Ask me again before my siesta, okay?"he said.

Matthew nodded in understanding. He knew Lovino wasn't feeling well. He wasn't going to push him.

That morning, Vash and Roderich joined the group in their normal spot. Vash frowned when he saw Lovino resting against Antonio. "Man, no offense Lovino, but you look like hell."

"Thanks,"Lovino mumbled, looking at the Swiss for a moment before a shiver went through him.

Antonio frowned. He'd thrown his jacket across Lovino to try to keep him warm after they sat down, but he could tell it wasn't helping.

Vash shrugged his own military-type jacket off and moved to lay it atop Antonio's over Lovino.

The Italian looked at Vash before he snuggled deeper under the jackets laying on him. "Grazie,"he whispered.

Vash nodded in understanding. Antonio remained quiet and serious for the longest, combing his fingers through Lovino's hair lightly.

After a while, Gilbert spoke. "I wish he would've just stayed home, he needs some rest,"he said.

Antonio looked up at Gilbert. "Yeah. But he's stubborn."he replied quietly.

"Shut up, bastard,"Lovino said, glaring up at Antonio with no heat before he curled up further, as far as he could manage with his brace on.

"Lovi, you're going to cut your breathing off doing that with the brace on,"Antonio warned, tapping at the Italian's knees gently.

Lovino huffed. "I don't care,"he grumbled. "I'm fucking freezing."

Antonio sighed.

"Having some trouble, I see?"

That voice. Lovino knew that voice. He swallowed thickly, looking up at the person standing behind Antonio.

Vash got up, moving to stand in front of his 'brother' and Antonio. "I'm sorry, sir, but you have no right to be here."he said.

Lovino moved to pull at Vash's shirt sleeve. Vash's eyes never left the male standing in front of him, but he grabbed Lovino's hand gently and gave it a squeeze before dropping it.

"Vash, stop."Lovino said. "You'll get hurt,"

The fear in the Italian's voice startled the rest of the group. Vash wasn't phased by it, it seemed.

_Why the fuck is this happening now?_ Lovino thought.

**Here. I'm terrible..god, I'm so so sorry. **


	46. Chapter 46

**AN: Guten Tag!**

**Here is the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: I get the feeling I should be offended by that first bit..but I can't bring myself to. And well..with how I've been updating..it's not much of a wait for new chapters. But I'm glad you like it, even if you hate me for hurting Lovi or whatever.**

**ThatRandomReview: No, I know I am. And actually..taking into consideration that I am basing that knowledge off of personal experience, a harsh, harsh blow to the stomach can cause that to become normal in some cases. With Lovi..well, his parents were always fighting. Feli and him did get hurt a lot because of that at times. It'll be shown later on in the story, promise. **

**GothicKitty1313: Eh..Kinda. More like Vash's overprotective side is kicking in and he's going to make sure that his "little brothers" stay safe, especially Lovi, since he's already hurt. **

**Enjoy.**

The man stared at Vash, a cold glare showing.

Vash didn't flinch under the stare. In fact, he met it evenly.

Lovino knew what would get Vash to back down, to stop and go back to normal. But he didn't want to do it because he knew he'd never live it down. But he had to do _something_ or the Swiss would get killed for standing up for him.

By that time, other people had begun to realize that something was going on.

The resource officer, who was a friend of Vash's parents, stayed out of the way, but passed something to Roderich and motioned for him to pass it to Vash.

Roderich knew exactly what was going to happen and he moved to put the package in the Swiss's back pocket so he could stay out of it.

The man didn't even bother looking away from Vash to glare at the Austrian. Because nothing really mattered to him other than getting his business here done. "Listen kid, I don't know who you think you are, but this doesn't involve you, so get out of my way."

"Like hell it doesn't involve me. That's my little brother you're messing with, so you need to back off. The minute you decided to show up here today, it became my business."Vash snapped.

Lovino hid his face in Antonio's shirt. He hated this. The fighting, the memories, the fact that Vash was opening himself up to get hurt like this.

But just before the man could move, Vash had taken the case from his pocket and let the actual case drop.

Feliciano gasped. A gun. Why the hell would anyone hand the Swiss a gun? Do they want a death.

But Vash didn't look back at the younger Italian's gasp. He kept the gun focused straight between the man's eyes. "You can leave on your own, or you can leave in an ambulence in a body bag. Your choice."

The man hesitated and took a half step forward, but Vash cocked the gun, letting the man know he was dead serious about shooting him.

Just before the Swiss could shoot, Lovino looked up and spoke. "Bruder, halt! Don't shoot. Please."

Vash didn't pull the trigger. Mostly because of Lovino's voice startling him. But the man figured out that Vash would do it if he tried to mess with Lovino and left without another word.

The Swiss nodded, uncocking the gun and putting it back in it's holder. He handed it back to the officer with a nod before he moved to kneel in front of Lovino. He sighed and wiped the tears falling down his cheeks away. He knew he'd scared the younger boy from how he was shaking. "I'm sorry, Lovi. I'm so, so sorry."

Feliciano was perfectly okay. He was talking with Ludwig quietly.

Vash sighed. "I know..I took that too far for your likings. But..I don't want you to get hurt worse than you already are."he said quietly.

Lovino moved and pulled his honourary brother into a tight hug, sobbing against his chest. "Please don't do that..you'll be taken away..."

Antonio's heart went out to the Italian as he once again realized that Lovino was only a child who'd grown up too fast to protect his brother.

Vash sighed. "I know, I know, I know. But I'd never, ever leave Feli and you out there on your own."he whispered to the crying Italian. "But.."

Lovino's sobs tore at the Swiss's heart. Lovino had never cried around him. And he had most certainly never seen the Italian so scared before.

Lovino didn't go to first block. None of them did. None of them could bring themselves to move. Vash stayed put while Lovino cried, soothing him quietly.

Feliciano had moved to help and currently had hold of one of Lovino's hands.

As soon as Lovino pulled back, it became clear that he couldn't breathe.

Vash sighed and made Feliciano drop his brother's hand. "Hey, Lovi, I need you to do me a favor, okay?"

Lovino met Vash's eyes.

Antonio tilted his head, but he knew that the panic had set in, so he stayed out of it.

Nobody said a word. One of the school's free teachers was standing nearby, keeping an eye on the group, ready to help at any moment's notice.

Vash took hold of Lovino's hand. "I want you to match my breathing, think you can do that?"

Panic attacks. Matthew caught on then and tensed up. Lovino had never had a panic attack before.

Lovino nodded once and did as Vash had asked of him.

Vash was gentle as he coaxed Lovino through his panic attack, but he couldn't do anything further than that. The group never moved. Lovino ended up slumping back against Antonio again, and the Spaniard wrapped his arms tightly around Lovino's waist. "Get some rest, Lovi."he whispered.

Lovino was already drifting by that point.

As soon as he was out, Gilbert spoke. "Would you have actually shot, Vash?"he asked, looking to the Swiss.

"I would have."Vash answered. "Nobody fucks with my family like that and gets away with it. And after seeing how terrified Lovino was? I would've killed him in a heartbeat, just to keep Lovi and Feli safe,"

Antonio sighed. "I'm going to take him home after he wakes back up. I don't want to scare him or anything."

The others nodded. The day had already hurt Lovino a lot. The panic attack had proven that.

Vash was watching Antonio play with Lovino's hair gently and he half smiled. "You really love mein kleiner bruder, don't you?"

Antonio nodded. "I'd do anything for him,"he whispered.

Vash smiled faintly. "So long as you don't hurt him, you're okay."

Nothing more was said on the matter and nobody bothered to break the silence until class ended.

A few people shot looks at the group, like they were insane or something. But others gave pitying looks or looks of understanding. Like they got why Lovino was like he was now.

Lovino's breathing became quieter as he woke up slightly at the sudden noise surrounding him. He blinked, but then he cuddled closer to Antonio and drifted back to sleep.

_S&S_-

After that point, things settled down. Lovino healed quickly and the group went back to normal.

Everyone was a bit hesitant to let Lovino go out on his own. But they relented after a while.

Lovino had managed to find a part time job, so now he and Feliciano had a stable income and were getting back on their feet again. Vash had taken them in until they were fully ready to stand on their own again, playing the part of foster brother perfectly.

December came around and the cold hit full force. Lovino, who had always hated the cold, stayed buddled up constantly. He and Feliciano had a habit they fulfilled - handmaking christmas gifts for the others.

The group made plans to get together on Christmas, spend it together.

Still, Lovino came in grinning the week before Christmas break. He was a bit behind the others due to the fact that he'd had to pull back from the others to talk to his boss over the phone on the way to school that morning. "Alright, guys, good news and bad news."he said.

Gilbert huffed. "Bad news first."

"I have to work Christmas eve so I can't come over until late."Lovino said.

"And the good news?"Feliciano asked.

Lovino grinned. "I got a promotion."he said softly. "Meaning soon, we'll be back on our own feet again, Feli."

Antonio chuckled. His boyfriend got excited easily. It was adorable.

Feliciano smiled at his brother. "That's great,"he said softly. "Stinks that you have work on Christmas eve, though. What about our traditions?"

"We'll still do them. Just a bit later,"Lovino promised.

Things had settled quite a bit indeed, and nobody was willing to complain.

Antonio smiled faintly. Matthew and Gilbert had dropped out of the conversation and were talking - almost arguing - quietly.

After a while, Gilbert grinned, pecking Matthew on the lips and letting the two of them rejoin the conversation in the group. Further plans for Christmas.

It wasn't bad. The times had changed drasticly, it seemed.

**Here. And I will be doing a Christmas episode. If there's anything in particular you wish to see in the story, let me know!**


	47. Chapter 47

**AN: Hola!**

**Here's the new chapter for you. This is the earliest you will get one on a weekend! I swear it is! Oh! Did you guys know that Feliciano and Lovino's human last name isn't Italian? Vargas is actually a common Spanish last name!**

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: Vash is awesome..and sehr overprotective! He views the Vargas brothers as his kliene Brüder, so it's natural that he'd **_**kill**_** to protect them. And you did not miss a name. I didn't include one. But..considering the group that Lovi just gone 'done' messing with, I think it's fairly easy to guess what kinda person it was. And panic attacks..definitely not fun. They fucking suck and drain ya of energy. I'm sorry you've had personal experience with them. Finally, finally, things **_**are **_**looking up for Feli and Lovi!**

**Spamano4ever: Yes, he is! **

**Penguin Braginski: Finland appearing as Santa..? Hm..I hadn't thought about that yet. He does that in the show and manga, though.. I guess he will be in an odd sort of way. Thanks for that reminder! I owe ya big time! And Lovi is doing better.**

**Enjoy.**

The days before Winter break were calm. The entire school had a festive air. The art and drama classes had decorated the school.

Lunch was full of chatter, as normal, but Lovino was smiling more. "This looks amazing. This is the best time of the year for this school, because hardly anyone's willing to break the festive air to start shit with others,"he said softly. He smiled at Feliciano. "Did you have fun helping decorate?"

Feliciano grinned brightly and nodded. "I did!"he said. "Now. More importantly, have you signed up for the Winter show? It's the last day before break,"

"Feli, I can't."Lovino said. "I have work, and that show will cut into my work hours because it's after school."

Francis rolled his eyes. "Give me your phone,"he said to the elder Italian.

Lovino shook his head, so Vash snatched the phone from him and called Lovino's work with a look to Lovino.

No longer than a minute later, Vash spoke. "Yes, sir, I was wondering if there was any way we could get Lovi to work a bit late this Friday due to something at school?"he said softly.

Lovino huffed. His boss was well acquainted with Vash. This was going to be fun.

Vash smiled softly. "Thank you, sir. I will have him in as soon as it's over, I promise."

With that, he hung up and handed Lovino his phone back. "You can come in late, so long as you work hard."

Lovino sighed. "Thanks, Vash."he said, rolling his eyes. "But I was perfectly fine with missing the show,"

Feliciano frowned. "But you haven't played since before you got hurt! I miss hearing you play. Please, Lovi?"

The look on Feliciano's face made Lovino sigh. "Fine."he huffed. "But I have to find a song,"

Feliciano's grin came back full force and he shot up to give his brother a tight hug. "Grazie, Lovi."

Lovino rolled his eyes, ruffling Feliciano's hair before he let his brother go back to his seat.

Feliciano automatically curled up against Ludwig when he sat down and Lovino offered a smile. After all the help that the German had given to him and Feliciano? He'd earned the elder's respect.

As such, he said nothing about it and the group continued on with a new topic.

Roderich came up in the middle of something Vash was saying, surprising the Swiss. The Austrian had been missing for the first half of their lunch hour, but nobody said anything, considering the smile showing on Vash's face right then was a rare thing.

"What kept you? You said you'd be along shortly, not half an hour later,"Vash said, but the scolding tone was soft.

Lovino shared a look with Feliciano before both brothers rolled their eyes at their 'older brother's behaviour before returning their gazes to the couple curiously. It was odd for Vash to act like this.

Roderich gave a faint smile, stealing a kiss from the Swiss before he spoke. "I'm sorry it took so long.."he murmured. "But I have my reasons."

Lovino knew at that point that this would go one of two ways - either it would be really sweet, or it would end in a fight. And seeing as he knew that today was supposed to be special for the two - being two years that they'd been together now - he didn't want it to end in a fight.

Francis seemed to recall a conversation that Roderich had had with the Italian brothers around him not even a month ago and gasped quietly before a smile showed up.

Feliciano looked over at the frenchman curiously before he looked back at the two who were speaking quietly, to the point that even Lovino couldn't hear them.

Roderich glanced at the others before he pulled Vash away from the table to speak with him.

Lovino seemed to realize what was going on because he grinned. "Aw, no way..he was planning that for today?"

Feliciano tilted his head before he smiled. "Seems so."he replied quietly.

Lovino looked back curiously before he smiled faintly and shook his head. "If he does and he mentions he spoke with us..Vash will kill us,"

Feliciano shrugged. "Worth it."

A few laughs sounded at the table.

The group heard when Vash gasped, making them glance over.

The cafeteria had fallen dead silent, allowing nearly everyone to hear Roderich's words.

"Vash..I know we've never talked about it. But I love you. Willst du mich heiraten?"

Silence fell for the longest moment before Vash nodded. "Ja. Ich werde dich heiraten."

Roderich grinned, getting up and pulling him into a tight hug.

Lovino shared a smile with his brother. They were glad the two were happy.

Surprisingly, nobody said a word to the two through the rest of the day.

The group ended up letting Vash and Roderich have time to themselves that day, knowing that they would more than likely mess something up for the couple otherwise, or at least run risk of doing so.

Therefore, Ludwig let Vash know that the Vargas brothers were going with them to Francis's house.

Vash nodded, giving Ludwig a faint smile before hugging Lovino and Feliciano and letting them leave.

Lovino smiled as they walked. "I'm glad he's happy. He's always so serious, it kills me."

"It's nice to finally see him smiling like that,"Feliciano agreed.

_S&S_-

The remaining days of school before break flew by and Lovino barely found a song in time for the show.

Thank goodness he had persuaded the others to let him choose a song that wasn't for Christmas. He couldn't stand the cheery Christmas music. Other than the cold, it was the only thing he hated about the holiday.

Lovino had decided to do an old Italian song that he knew Feliciano would recognise. He'd sung it for his brother before when he'd gotten scared during storms while they were home alone.

Lovino was one of the last people to perform, and he offered a faint smile when he came out onto the stage.

Throughout his performance, Lovino noticed the surprise on Feliciano's face, as well as the shock showing on some of the other students's expressions.

It wasn't normal for Lovino to go fully Italian in his speech or music, so when he did, it surprised many people.

As soon as the show was over, Vash moved to wait for Lovino to bid his friends goodbye so he could drive the Italian to work. The restruant was thankfully one of the nicer places in town, so it was hard to miss, even on a night like this - pouring rain and pitch dark.

Lovino waved once last time to his friends as he moved to Vash's side.

"Achten!"Gilbert called after the two.

"Nicht so viel Sorgen machen."Vash called back as he led Lovino out of the school.

Lovino showed up at Antonio's after work to spend time with the group soaked to the bone and shivering like crazy. Feliciano knew that Vash had dropped him off, but still. It was a long walk from the car to the door.

Antonio frowned, getting up and going to get some dry clothes of his own to give to Lovino. "Go get dried off and changed before you catch a cold, Lovi."

Lovino gave him a thankful smile and disappeared into the bathroom to do just that.

He came back into the living room not even five minutes later, his hair still a little damp from the rain, but not at bad.

Antonio smiled faintly and passed Lovino a mug of hot chocolate.

"Grazie,"Lovino said softly as he took the mug from his boyfriend.

"How was work?"

Lovino sighed, sipping at the hot drink. "Slow."he answered after a moment. "People don't venture out in this kind of weather to eat out very much, unless they're stupid."  
Feliciano laughed lightly at that response. "You spent most of the night babysitting the boss's kid didn't you?"

Lovino nodded once, leaning against Antonio lightly.

The Spaniard smiled faintly, running his fingers through the Italian's hair gently.

Lovino ended up falling asleep like that not even a half hour later. He still held his empty mug in his hands, but Feliciano took that from him when he noticed his brother was asleep and Antonio smiled faintly, taking the blanket that Francis passed and placing it around Lovino before he wrapped his arms around the Italian's waist as well.

Tino blinked at this scene when he looked up from his book. He smiled. "Aw, how sweet,"he said quietly.

Silence fell over the group at that point. Tino had said it right. It was sweet. But nobody else dared say anything in fear of waking Lovino up and having him yell at them.

Still, it had been a nice day for the group.

**I blame this on a conversation I had with our Canada yesterday in Art class..well, **_**his**_** art class, technically. I stayed after to show something to the teacher and was late to History as a result. Anyways. Not my fault. This one was based off of a **_**uber awkward**_** cosplay moment we had. The teacher enjoyed it, and the other cosplayers got a laugh out of it, so it was worth it!**


	48. Chapter 48

**AN: Hej. **

**New chapter. I haven't stopped writing today. At all, not since I woke up. It's driving my mom up the wall. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Cuteness..hmm..yeah, I suppose so. It's cute now, in story form. In cosplay form that was uber improved? Fuck no it wasn't. Glad you liked it though, I'll tell our Canada you liked the chapter he gave me the inspiration for!**

**Penguin Braginski: Vash and Roderich **_**are**_** adorable. They're both so serious all the time, though...so... But yes, things are going wonderfully for the holidays. Thank goodness.**

**Oh! And I forgot last chapter. What was said between Vash and Gilbert towards the end was "Be careful" and "Don't worry so much."**

**That wasn't too fun to translate, actually, the last one. The first one..well, America's always telling me that, in German and English, so...**

**Enjoy.**

The following morning, Lovino woke up to see Antonio still asleep and half smiled, staying put so that he didn't wake the Spaniard up.

The others were already getting up and ready for the day they had ahead of them - their first day off from school for holiday.

They had planned to go to the amusement park again. The waterwork attractions there had been closed for the winter, but the others were still open and decorated for Christmas.

Antonio woke up not long after that and scrunched up his nose slightly. "Lovi?"he asked.

Lovino looked at him again. "Si?"

Antonio smiled faintly. "Wondering if you were still there,"he grumbled, letting the Italian go after stealing a chaste kiss.

Lovino smiled at that and got up to get ready, letting Antonio get woke up.

When Lovino came back it was to see that Antonio had managed to fall back asleep while he was gone.

He laughed, moving to kneel beside him. "Hey, amore?"he said, gently shaking Antonio. "Time to wake up."

Antonio grumbled in Spanish, but got up anyways.

Matthew's phone went off as everyone was eating breakfast that morning and he frowned, answering it. He smiled slightly when he realized it was his brother, but then his smile faded again. "Yeah, hold on."

Matthew moved the speaker away from his mouth to look at Gilbert. "Can Al come too?"he asked. "Please? Our parents are fighting again..I don't wanna leave him there alone,"

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah, tell him to get his ass over here,"

Matthew smiled at Gilbert and went back to talking to Alfred over the phone. After a moment, he hung up. He sighed. "They do this every year,"he grumbled. "Only ever fighting at Christmas."

Gilbert wrapped his arms around the canadian, kissing his cheek. "Well then...just ignore them."

Lovino spoke. "I've told him that for years, Gil. He wouldn't let anyone love him before you came along and changed everything because he's seen what 'love' does to people."he said from his own seat across the table.  
Gilbert looked at Lovino before he looked back at Matthew with a frown. "Is that true?"he asked.

Matthew nodded once. Then he glared at Lovino. "You can't say much, Lovi. You closed yourself off to love as well, for the most part."

Lovino shrugged. "I know I did. I've accepted that and moved on."

Feliciano came into the room then from where he had gotten up and taken off to get something from his bookbag. Lovino choked slightly when his brother tied it around his neck without warning. He coughed for a moment before he looked at him. "What the hell, Feli?"he demanded.

Antonio laughed lightly, pushing Lovino's glass to him.

Lovino took it and sipped at it for a moment before he continued. "What is this thing?"he asked, since he couldn't exactly see what was around his neck.

"Go look!"Feliciano said happily.

Lovino sighed, but he got up and disappeared to the bathroom anyways.

When the elder Italian came back, he spoke. "Feli, how did you get my old bandana? It was in the attic,"

"I went up there and got it and washed it for you the last time we were home!"Feliciano said softly. "You used to love wearing it, and it just fit what you were wearing, so..."

It was true. While Lovino was wearing one of Antonio's shirts with an old ripped up pair of jeans, the bandana did fit. His old punk-esque style. That's exactly what it was.

Gilbert grinned. It was that style that Lovino had had when he'd met and became friend with him. "I remember that,"he said softly. "You used to get so much crap for wearing that bandana to school. You sometimes would tie it in your belt loops to stay out of trouble."

Matthew laughed lightly. "Man...I miss those days. It was so simple,"

Lovino rolled his eyes, letting the two reminise all they wanted. He sat back down with Antonio and let the Spaniard adjust the bandana before kissing his cheek.

Once Alfred got there, the group headed out to the amusement park for the day.

Lovino allowed himself to be pulled away. Matthew smiled as he watched Lovino and Antonio disappear. "It's nice to see Lovino so okay with Antonio."

Gilbert smiled at Matthew and pulled him to him gently. "It's sweet. But.."he said softly. "I want to know why you pushed people away before me,"

Matthew sighed. He should've seen that coming. "Because, I didn't want to get hurt."he said. "But I know you'd never hurt me."

"Well..unless you asked me to hurt you,"Gilbert said, chuckling.

Matthew turned pink, pushing at the prussian's shoulder. "Perv,"he grumbled.

Gilbert smiled softly. "I mean it. I will never hurt you. I love you too much."

The others had disappeared as well, letting the two have their alone time. They'd all meet up for lunch, at any rate.

Matthew smiled up at Gilbert. "I love you."he said softly.

"Ich liebe dich auch."Gilbert responded before he leaned down and kissed Matthew. While it wasn't one of their first kisses, it was as sweet as their first, just much less timid.

Matthew smiled faintly when he pulled away. "C'mon, let's go."he said.

Sometime during lunch, snow started falling, gaining a few surprised exclamations from Matthew, Alfred, and the Vargas brothers. It was rare for them to get to see snow and it was a pretty sight.

Gilbert chuckled, moving to wrap his arm around Matthew's shoulders, snapping him from his stupour.

The others managed to snap out of it when they heard Matthew's soft laugh.

Lovino grinned. It was definitely nice to see his best friend be so happy with someone.

Their day was full of chatter and fun. The snow stuck to the ground, so the group ended up having a snowball fight the moment they got home. It was brilliant. Lukas managed to get tackled into the snow by Mathias while they were playing and having fun in the snow, making the Norwegian squeel and laugh lightly. It wasn't often that he laughed and smiled, but he had yet to stop that since they started playing in the snow.

Mathias moved to give Lukas a kiss before he got up and helped his boyfriend to his feet.

After it got dark, they headed in to change and drink hot chocolate before settling down for the night. It had been a perfect first day of holiday for them. And since Lovino had to go back to work the following morning, it had been the perfect day off for him as well.

**Here ya go.**

**It turned all cutesy and stuff, but I like it anyways. And I just had to include that PruCan moment. Because..well..c'mon, it's PruCan. That pairing deserves a lot of love as it is!**

**Farewell, love. I'm off to finish a cosplay video right quick like.**


	49. Chapter 49

**AN: Hei.**

**Sorry, I know I'm updating a lot today, but I won't be able to update but like once tomorrow because I'm being drug to church. Fun..not. Stupid, close-minded bastards, the lot of them. Oh well, I get to hang out with Denmark, Iceland and Russia at church, at least. It's nice, hanging out with them. They make it fun.**

**But I'll lose my sleep. Again. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I'm glad you like it! **

**Enjoy.**

Lovino's alarm on his phone went off at six, waking him up. He cut it off and sighed. "Toni,"he whispered softly.

Antonio woke up slightly.

"I gotta get up and get ready for work, tesoro."Lovino murmured.

Antonio sighed, glancing at his watch. "It's only six. What time do you have to be at work?"

"In an hour."Lovino responded.

Antonio sighed and pecked Lovino's lips softly before he let the Italian up.

Lovino got up and went to fetch his uniform from his school bag, which he had with him due to the fact that he did have to work over break. As soon as he had gotten his clothes, he disappeared into the bathroom.

By the time he came back, the others were up and moving. They usually got up early like this if they hadn't been up all night.

Feliciano smiled at his brother when he saw him in uniform. "Aw, Lovi, you look so cute!"he cooed.

Lovino tiredly flipped his brother off. "Shut up, fratello."he grumbled.

Antonio grinned. "He's right. You look nice,"

Breakfast was silent. Everyone else was up and ready for the day by the time it was over and cleaned up.

Lovino sighed, glancing at the clock before he bid the group farewell and left.

Feliciano frowned as soon as his brother left. "He's always so tired recently.."

Francis half smiled and spoke. "He's fine, Feli. He's just had a lot to do. School and work both? It can drain a person. He'll be fine when he catches up on his sleep."

Feliciano nodded and let the topic drop. "So..what are we doing today?"

"Until Lovino gets home? We are working on outside decorations. So get buddled up,"Antonio said. They had all agreed to stay at the Spaniards over the break if possible, so that's what they were doing. There was a lot of scuffling while everyone got buddled up, but after that, the group had fun doing the outside decorations. Feliciano ended up falling into the snow after slipping taking a step back from a ground decoration and laughed, making a snow angel before he got up and continued helping.

Ludwig stopped Feliciano, brushing the snow off him before letting him get back to work.

When Lovino got home that evening, they started working on the Christmas tree. Afterwards, they settled down again. Lovino curled up against Antonio's side after he got changed into some ratty jeans and a long sleeved shirt of Antonio's, listening to his heartbeat silently.

The door opened then, as well as a knock sounding on the metal. "Guten Tag, guys." Vash's voice sliced through the silence.

The Swiss entered, closing the door behind him. Lovino knew that Roderich had to help his own family with decorations and such. Vash was probably already done with his as well.

"How'd things go today?"

Feliciano grinned, giving the Swiss a tight hug as he joined them. "It was fun. It sucked that Lovi had to miss it."

Vash looked over at Lovino, who seemed pretty content with not helping. "I think he'll be alright."he said. "After all, we can't have him tiring himself out too much, can we?"

Lovino huffed. "I can hear you, idiota,"he said, rolling his eyes.

Vash smiled slightly. "I was wondering. Do these guys know what you like about your job?"he asked.

"They don't know much about my job,"Lovino offered.

Vash rolled his eyes. "He gets to sing. And when they have down time in the restruant, they usually let him play guitar as well. A few customers have actually asked him to play something for them before. It really helps business there on slow days."

When Matthew looked to Lovino, it was to gain a nod from the Italian. "What was the last song you played?"  
"Um..I played something today for one of the females in the restruant. She just offered a way to answer questions from others - including coworkers. They all know about Antonio, since we do actually talk in spare time,"Lovino said. "And..you'd kill me, Matt, but.."

Matthew rolled his eyes, going to get an acoustic guitar from one of the spare rooms in the home and handing it to Lovino. "Play it."he said, sitting back down.

Lovino huffed, sitting up and moving away from Antonio so he could play the song properly.

He sighed before he started playing. He bit his lip before he sung as well.

"_When I was younger, I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind. He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to reassemble it. And my momma swore that she would never let herself forget. And that was the day that I promised I'd never sing of love if it does not exist. But darling, you are the only exception..."_

Matthew sighed. Of course. It would be that.

"_Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul that love never lasts and we've got to find other ways to make it alone or keep a straight face. And I've always lived like this, keeping a comfortable distance. And up until now I had sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness, cause none of it was ever worth the risk."_

Feliciano gasped. He knew the song. He also knew it was true for Lovino.

"_I've got a tight grip on reality, but I can't let go of what's in front of me here. I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up, leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream.. You are the only exception. You are the only exception.. and I'm on my way to believing..."_

Lovino set the guitar aside after that and looked up. "Any other questions?"he asked.

Feliciano spoke. "I have one. Do they know your past? All of it?"

"No. No one does, aside from you and Vash."Lovino said, looking down.

Feliciano nodded. "Well..I was wondering. Because that song...it's dead on, Lovi. It describes you so well, your past it played out in it with how you sing it. So..why don't you let these guys know..since you've already laid it out for them to find?"  
Lovino met his brother's eyes and shook his head. "I ..I can't.."he said, shame lacing his words. "I won't be able to."

Nobody responded for a long while before Francis realized what was going on and he looked at Lovino. "Lovino, I want you to be honest with me, okay?"

Lovino hesitated before he nodded, looking at the frenchman. "Okay."he said quietly, allowing Antonio to draw him to him again.

Francis was quiet for a moment before he spoke softly. "I know this isn't your first relationship..and I need to know three things. First of all, I want to know how long you were involved with the mafia."

"Since I was eleven years old."Lovino answered softly.

Vash winced. That wasn't good. Even though it was only a six year difference from then to now, it had obviously been harsh on Lovino.

Francis nodded. "Alright, next. That relationship..was the other person involved in the mafia in any way?"

Lovino hesitated, looking like he wanted to lie to keep the others happy, but he sighed. "..yes."he answered. "Another inductee like me."

Francis sighed. "I know it was abusive. To what point?"

Lovino looked at Francis with wide eyes. He most certainly wasn't answering that. "That is none of your business,"

Antonio tightened his arms around Lovino in a comforting gesture.

Feliciano wanted to answer for his brother, but he couldn't bring himself to.

Nobody spoke for the longest before Lovino spoke and broke it. "It wasn't bad. More emotional than anything. Almost never hitting. I wouldn't've stayed, not if it was physical."

Feliciano got up and moved to whisper something to Francis before going back to his seat.  
Francis sighed. "Figures.."he mumbled. He sighed again before he nodded. "Okay. Listen, Lovi. I don't mean to upset you with the questions, you know this. But have you ever heard the quote 'you only except the love you feel you deserve'? Because that's what you were doing back then. You felt worthless, you found someone who would treat you that way. Stop doing that. And..for god's sake please tell us if something's going on with you. You cut yourself off so bad back then. It scared the shit out of me, and your brother was so fucking lost without you being yourself."

"I know. You don't have to lecture me."Lovino snapped. "It's in the past, so let it go. Damn... I would've lied if I knew how overbearing you were going to be."

Vash cleared his throat. "Lovino. Calm down. He cares about you. All of us care about you. Stop being stubbron."

Lovino glared at his 'brother'. "I can manage myself. You guys worry for yourselves and let me handle my problems and my past on my own unless I ask for help."

Silence fell. But this one was tense.

Feliciano's eyes filled with tears. "Please don't fight. It's the holidays. Please."he said. "I don't want this to be like every holiday when we were little."

Lovino let it go then and nodded, forcing himself to calm down and breathe.

Antonio was quiet. He wanted to know why Lovino was so guarded, but he wasn't going to ask if it made him this uncomfortable. Instead, he pressed a soft kiss to Lovino's lips and whispered a soft, 'Te amo' to him, gaining a faint smile.

Vash smiled at this. It seemed Antonio was content with not knowing as long as Lovino was happy. He spoke again after a while. "I actually came over with some gifts for you guys. For the holidays. 'Cause I'm going to Roderich's for Christmas, and I don't feel much like dragging him from his family."

"Vash, you didn't need to do that."Lovino said. "Seriously, the holidays are just time to spend with the people you love. Just send us a text or something saying Merry Christmas, it's the same."

Vash shrugged. "And? I get a chance to actually give mein kleine Brüder something and not get blessed out for it. I'm taking that chance."

"Jerk."Lovino grumbled.

"Aw, you love me."

Lovino flipped him off, making Vash laugh lightly.

Despite the tense conversation, the day had ended on a very loving note. And it was happily accepted.

**Here ya go. **


	50. Chapter 50

**AN: Hej.  
Man..I have no life. **

**Anyway, here's the thing. I finally got a dry erase board (portable with a marker) for the Day of Silence this Friday (the 19th). And I got me a glass-bottled coke. My first ever. And some concealer so I can do my own makeup and stuff (Since we do mask the colour of our lips with out cosplay to make it a bit more realistic for the people in our group that are terribly obsessed *coughSwitzerland&Italycough*) when we do our cosplays at school and stuff. Like Monday. Damn. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Awesome friends? Not so much. Our Russia makes me feel like Latvia. Not fun. And completely out of character for me, since I cosplay as England in our group! Not cool! And they are not awesome because Prussia would never approve of them being awesome! Well..I dunno, maybe our Iceland...who knows.. Anyways. I do love the awkward or tense moments turned sweet because..well, there's so many of them in real life.**

**ThatRandomReview: (Chapter 47): Good as. Our cosplay group? We got dubbed by which character we acted like. And I base off them more often than not. Only..we don't have a Prussia, Austria, Norway, Turkey, or Japan as far as characters here in this story so far go. I just did my research for most of it, figured out how they act as well as I could before I wrote too much. (Chapter 49): Nah, it's fine. I've yet to give anyone a chance to really. Thanks. Glad you liked the chapter(s). And yes. There will be more about his time with the mafia coming out, but it's going to be over time. You really think that the others are going to let him stay quiet about it forever? Nein! Vash and Roderich are sweet. For that..I kinda am placing some on how our Switzerland acts when she's joking around with me or (used to) Italy. It's perfectly fine. **

**GothicKitty1313: Thanks, glad you like it. And..actually, more of his past with the mafia will be revealed in this one.**

**Enjoy**

"_..another inductee like me..." "I know it was abusive..." "You felt worthless, you found someone who would treat you that way..." "You cut yourself off..." "Almost never hitting..."_

The haunting conversation kept coming back to Antonio, keeping him up all night that night. Lovino was fast asleep in his arms. He couldn't help but wonder what all his boyfriend had been put through in his six years with the mafia. None of it seemed good from what he'd seen just recently. And Vash had winced when Lovino spoke of how long he'd been with the mafia. Had been willing to shoot someone Antonio knew was part of the mafia now. He didn't notice the tears start falling. He wasn't crying for himself, though. He was crying for Lovino.

Lovino woke up when Antonio's breathing and heartrate shifted a bit, blinking at him. "Baby?"he asked. "What's wrong?"

Antonio shook his head and buried his face in Lovino's neck gently. Just knowing that he was there, was okay..that was good enough.

Lovino pushed him back, drying the tears. "What's the matter?"he asked.

Antonio shook his head again. "Nothing. I just got to thinking."

Lovino leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to Antonio's lips before he settled. "None of it matters,"  
"It does to me,"Antonio said. "Because...if I don't know what's happened, I won't know how to keep you safe. From me, from everyone."

Lovino gave him a kind smile. "From you? You'd never hurt me."he said. "But..if you wanna know..come by the restruant tomorrow around noon, I'll tell you then. It's my break."

Antonio nodded and let Lovino get to sleep again so that he'd be rested for work in the morning. He drifted to sleep after Lovino did, waking up just before he did.

Lovino pecked his lips lightly as he got up to go get ready for work.

They had a habit as a group.

That morning was one of the slowest mornings for Lovino at work. A few people commented that he seemed down, even some of the customers. He gave them fake smiles and a falsely cheery 'nope, just thinking' before continuing on with his job. But as soon as he turned away from them, he'd frown again.

In truth, he was scared. He was so sure that after he told Antonio his past with the mafia..he'd just walk out. Like nearly everyone else he'd ever told had. The thought of Antonio leaving him brought tears forward. He was glad he was back in the kitchen away from the customers. He couldn't hold himself together right now. He couldn't fake another smile.

The tears fell slowly until someone came back at noon to get him to tell him Antonio was there.

As soon as that was said, the tears definitely fell.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

Lovino shook his head. He didn't feel up to explaining to another person today. He wiped the tears away and headed out to meet up with Antonio, who immediately frowned at the sight of the tears that still fell down his boyfriend's face. "What's going on?"He asked.

Lovino let Antonio draw him into a hug. "Please don't leave me.."he whispered.

Antonio pushed Lovino back at that. "What? Why would I? I love you too much to ever think of leaving you."

But he let Lovino cry himself out before he spoke. "What's all this about, my love?"

"Everyone who I've told my past to has left. I don't want you to do the same."Lovino said, sniffling.

Antonio sighed. "I will never do that."he whispered. "I promise."

Lovino sniffled again, but nodded that he understood and led Antonio out of the way of everyone else, moving to sit against a wall away from the majority of people unless they worked at the restruant.

Antonio spoke. "What all have those guys actually put you through?"he asked. "Because...you seemed a bit..ashamed yesterday, I noticed."

Lovino nodded. "I got involved in a lot of shit, Toni, I won't lie."he said.

Antonio watched the Italian for a moment before he looked down. "Lovi..why exactly were you so scared when that guy came into school looking for you?"

"...I can't tell you. You'd hate me for it."Lovino said softly. "If you wanna know..ask Vash later. I can't.."

A couple tears spilled from Lovino's eyes as he said this, and Antonio wiped them away gently. "I will _never_ hate you."he said. "How could I hate someone I love so much?"

Silence passed for a few moments as Lovino pulled himself back together again.

Then he spoke again. "Antonio...I'm going to be honest with you, and..I want you to do the same with me. If you hate me after this, tell me. I'll leave."he said quietly. '_I'll hurt myself before I hurt you or open you up to get hurt._' he added silently.

Antonio nodded and Lovino started talking.  
"I got involved with the mafia when I was eleven. I did it to keep Feli safe. It was the only way. Vash often looked after Feliciano when I would disappear. I never knew if I'd return home after I left, so I always made sure to tell him I loved him and give him a hug before then. I guess that's why it scares Feli now when I do that, because he's realized that's why."Lovino said, frowning slightly. "I couldn't do much. I was too weak to really help out. I ended up being nothing more than a toy for the better part of three years."

"Toy?"Antonio asked. He didn't like what that implied. "..you mean..?"  
Lovino nodded once and Antonio closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath of his own.

"That's why I told you I'm not an angel at Halloween. Not even a Fallen. Though..I guess that Fallen angel is kind of more appropriate than a normal one to describe me. I'm not innocent, and I am most definitely not holy. I've hurt people before, but I would never do that now unless it was defending a friend or family member. Not even for myself."

Antonio kissed Lovino's forehead before he met his eyes. "Lovi, you don't have to do this today if you don't want to. You're at work, I don't want you to be upset or anything."

"Too late. A lot of people have asked me if I'm okay today."Lovino responded. "I've been faking smiles all day. Just thinking of how to word this. Because I do want you to know. I trust you enough to tell you."

Antonio sighed. "Okay. But if you don't feel up for it, I understand."

Lovino nodded, giving Antonio a soft kiss before he continued. "I know."he whispered. "But listen..I act cold towards people, I did with you, because that's what I had to do to survive in that place and it carried over. It's why I hate how I look. Because they fucked with my mind. Constantly. It's why I take so much to heart, like those little notes and stuff you always write me. They help so much. They show you care. I shut people out to see who cares enough to break my boundaries to pull me into their lives. And you have."

Antonio nodded. He got the feeling Lovino was coding his words. He'd go through later and figure it out, but he let Lovino fall silent again after that.

After a long while, Antonio spoke. "I still love ya."he said.

Lovino smiled at Antonio. "I love you too."he responded. "Thank you. For not leaving me."

"I couldn't. Not if my life depended on it."

After work that day, Lovino came home to see Antonio sprawled on the floor napping. He rolled his eyes and went to get changed before sitting down beside him and ruffling his hair.

Antonio woke up and blinked at him before he gave a sleepy grin. "Hey, love. Welcome home,"

_Home._ '_When did this become my home?_' Lovino asked. He gave the sleepy Spaniard an odd look but said nothing.

Feliciano gave Lovino a tight hug when he entered from outside. "Lovi! You're back!"

Lovino laughed lightly. "Yes, I'm back. Now let go of me, you're fucking cold."

Feliciano let go and darted off to get unbundled and changed.

Antonio sat up, pulling Lovino to him. "God, I've missed you being here when I was home. The rest of these guys really made me miss you, being all lovey-dovey."

Lovino laughed. "'s what you get. Karma's come back to bite you in the ass for being so fucking happy all the time."he said. "It's not normal, babe."

"And? I like being abnormal!"

It didn't take but five seconds for the two to dissolve into laughter.

For Lovino to have been crying at work not even two and a half hours ago, he was pretty happy, Antonio noted.

But he knew that it was slightly forced. He was trying to be happy again. But he was forcing some of it. After what he'd told Antonio? It was only to be expected.

_'My poor angel..had to go through so much shit...I wish I could make everything better for him._'Antonio thought as he watched Lovino trade playful insults with Gilbert and Francis.

'_Where to start...?'_Antonio thought. It was worth a shot. As long as it helped Lovino get over his past..then he'd do anything.

**I feel like such a horrid person. But..Sve said he'd take partial credit for coming up with the backstory of Lovi's time with the mafia. I just typed it out into a dialouge between Toni and Lovi.**


	51. Chapter 51

**AN: Last one, then bed! I have church in the morning, I can't fall asleep there. I don't trust them enough and I don't wish to get into trouble. Oh..thank you god, nobody bit my head off for the last chapter! I was kinda scared I would be cursed for it.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Penguin Braginski: (Chapter 49): Toni definitely won't let anything happen to Lovi. As for if Lovi's going to sing during the actual Christmas part of this...hm..we'll see. Feli might just convince him to, as a tradition. **

**Spamano4ever: I know! It's so cute to see couples doing that when they truly love each other! I had to include it! Besides..Lovi's just the kind to express with words how much he loves someone without saying 'I love you' a lot, really. I could see him doing pet names quite often due to that. **

**ThatRandomReview: He **_**is**_** a Fallen angel. It fits him perfectly! I'm glad someone else sees that, too. And...grazie, I think.. I'm not sure how to reply to that..**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

Lovino was beyond glad that his boss had told him to take the day off tomorrow. He felt like shit from the crying he did yesterday at work, and he was far too embarrassed to face his coworkers today.

Besides..having the day off meant a bit of a lie in with Antonio. He was okay with that. In fact, he loved that idea.

So when he got woke up at around nine that morning to Antonio placing a soft kiss to his forehead, he smiled. "Morning,"he greeted quietly, yawning.

Antonio chuckled faintly. "Good morning,"he said in return.

Lovino looked around when he realized how quiet it was. It was a completely different room, for one thing.

Antonio noticed Lovino's confusion and spoke. "Gil and Alfred wanted to play Call of Duty. They would've killed you or something, so I moved you here. I just could bring myself to leave and let you wake up alone."

Lovino smiled faintly. "Can we stay curled up today?"he asked quietly, laying his head back down over Antonio's heart.

"If you want, of course we can,"Antonio said quietly. "But before we bunker down for the day..I have something I want to show you. Get up and get ready."

Lovino groaned slightly, but got up anyways, setting about getting ready for the day.

The two disappeared from the house unnoticed about an hour later, once they were both ready for the day and bundled up.

Antonio led the Italian through the wooded area near his house to a nice clearing. It was glistening in snow and Antonio lead Lovino across it about halfway before stopping at a frozen-over pond. "We should come out here and go iceskating sometime before the ice melts."

Lovino nodded. "Yeah. That'd be nice. But not today. It's too cold to be skating today."

Antonio nodded, setting about leading Lovino back. By the time they reached the house again, Lovino was shivering. When they re-entered the house came the problem. Lovino's shivers stayed with him and were making hm shake so much that he had to have Antonio help him with his coat, making the Italian blush a bright red and for Gilbert to call a teasing 'how cute' to the two.

Needless to say, Lovino was glad to be curled up under blankets with Antonio for the rest of the day. "God, it's fucking freezing."he grumbled, cuddling up closer to Antonio, who laughed and pulled the covers up further around Lovino before wrapping his arms around the Italian. "Just get some rest."he whispered. "You need it after yesterday,"

Lovino nodded. "You know..I never did say thanks for listening and being so patient with me yesterday during that meltdown I had."he said softly.

"Darling, no, don't."Antonio mumbled. "Never thank me for that. Especially not for that. Lovi..what happened to you in the past..it was horrid from what you told me yesterday. It's okay that you had that meltdown. I wanted to break after you told me that, but I wasn't going to, since I wanted to hold myself together around you. I bawled when I got home because..they hurt you. And I can't erase that, but I want to help you forget about it."

Lovino moved slightly so he could kiss Antonio, cutting off the small speech he was giving before he continued.

Antonio was the one who broke it. "What a nice way of telling me to shut up."

Lovino chuckled. "Glad you're catching on."he mumbled. "But...listen...what I told you yesterday is the least of it. Just..let it go. I'll tell you some other time. Today, let's just relax and spend time together.

Antonio nodded and nuzzled Lovino's hair lightly as the Italian settled down again.

Lovino was half asleep again when Antonio spoke. "Hey, Lovino?"he asked.

"Hm?"Lovino asked curiously.

"You know I love you right?"Antonio said softly. "I am so in love with you."

Lovino half smiled, looking at Antonio. "I know. I love you too."

Gilbert went to go get the two when it was nearing time for dinner, since they were all going out to eat that evening to see them curled up, Lovino asleep with his head over Antonio's heart while Antonio had fallen asleep playing with his hair.

He offered a smile and backed out silently before rejoining the group. "Sound asleep, both of them. I don't have the heart to wake them. They seem so comfortable."

Francis nodded and they moved on to a new topic.

Vash came in, frantic, not long after that. "Where's Lovino? I need to speak with him."

"Down the hall, he's asleep."Gilbert said, frowning. "I'll go wake him if it's important."

Vash relaxed a bit then. "Oh, god.."he said, leaning against one of the walls. "Nobody told me he was off from work today. I thought he'd been kidnapped or something. And with the mafia still after his ass..god.."

Feliciano frowned. "It's okay. Lovi's alright, Vash. Toni's been with him all day."

Vash nodded, sitting down and taking in a few deep breaths to calm himself.

Things calmed slightly after that.

Lovino woke up a bit later, Antonio still fast asleep.

The Italian smiled faintly and settled back down. He was perfectly fine with this. It was comfortable and he wasn't worried about getting hurt.

He loved days like this. For a good reason. They were few and far between for him.

Antonio woke up soon after and gave Lovino a soft smile before he carefully shifted onto his side, pulling Lovino against him and wrapping an arm tightly around his waist before he drifted back to sleep.

Lovino laughed lightly, but said nothing. Yes, days like this were amazing. He really enjoyed them.

This being the first he'd spent with anyone, it made it even better.

**I have to stop for the night. I'm falling asleep writing this. Meaning: bed time. **

**Ciao guys!**


	52. Chapter 52

**AN: Guten Tag, guys. **

**Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: Indeed. **

**ThatRandomReview: Considering that Vash all but adopted the Vargas brothers, I believe that protectiveness is very...accurate. And yes, Vash would shoot you for that. **

**Penguin Braginski: It's alright, I had to look up Greece's human name before I could include it. Christmas will be interesting, to say the least. **

**GothicKitty1313: Right, everything is okay. For now. Who knows about the future?**

**Enjoy.  
_**

Lovino had banned them all from the kitchen for a while. He wanted to make something and he didn't want anyone distracting him.

A lot of people had been concerned when the Italian had gotten up and disappeared into the kitchen, since he hardly ever did that.

As soon as Lovino came back and sat down with everyone else, his phone went off and he scowled, but got it out of his pocket and answered it. Nobody bothered him while he was on the phone.

"Oh. Alright, I can do that."Lovino said after a moment, a surprised smile showing.

"Ciao."

That phone call had not lasted long. Gilbert tilted his head slightly. "What was that about?"

Lovino didn't respond for the longest, staring at his phone as if lost. "I...I think I just got looped into performing at work on Friday. You guys wanna come watch? That way I know someone there and don't have a meltdown or whatever?"  
The others agreed and Lovino let himself be pulled into Antonio's arms. He sighed softly, allowing himself to relax against Antonio.

They settled down for the evening after that. It had been a nice day.

'_I am really beginning to hate working in a restruant,'_ Lovino thought, hiding himself in the kitchen. One of the guys from the mafia had just come in. Nobody asked him to go take his order. Thank god, they knew what was going on from his talk with Antonio at work.

His boss seemed to realize that Lovino _really_ needed out of there, because he spoke softly. "Call Vash or Antonio, tell them to come get you. Out back, so you don't have to run into a fight here."

"Thank you!"Lovino said quietly, taking off.

As soon as he was outside the building, he got his phone out and dialed Vash's number.

Vash picked up, sounding a bit bored.

"Vash..could you come get me? Please?"Lovino pleaded quietly.

Vash's reply was concerned, but he said he'd be there soon, so Lovino hung up and leaned against the wall. He hated those people. He was terrified of them, and he hated them with a passion.

Whenever Vash picked him up, the first thing he did was drive to a small park, then he pulled over and looked at Lovino, who was shaking. "What happened, Lovino?"

Lovino didn't respond. He looked over at Vash with wide eyes and Vash understood.

"I swear, I'm going to start sending a hand gun with you. I know you know how to use one."

With that, Vash started driving again, stopping at Antonio's and killing the engine. He walked his 'brother' into the house and answered the questions fired as well as he could while Lovino got changed. He couldn't go back, not today.

Antonio sighed. Of course. "I wish they'd let him be."

Feliciano shook his head. "He left. They view that as a death wish. Especially someone like him..he's one of the ones that kept people from losing their tempers on the others..at a price."he said softly. "He never told me anything, but the scars he has, the injuries he's come in with before..they tell me more than anything he could say what's happened."

Vash sighed. "And that guy who showed up at work especially...I've seen him before, and Lovino's mentioned him before. He is fucking terrified to be in the same building as him. And for good reason. He made Lovino suffer so much when he was like twelve."he said, crossing his arms. "Lovino's boss will allow him to carry a gun if he has a good reason. I'm calling this evening and talking to him about it. Because..I dunno..things just always get worse before they get better."

Antonio remembered what Lovino had told him of his time with the mafia. He was beyond mad that someone would hurt Lovino. Now...now he wished them dead. He wouldn't kill, obviously, because if he did that he'd be taken to prison away from Lovino. But he would defend Lovino if he got the chance.

Vash looked at Antonio when he noticed the Spaniard's dark expression. "Has he told you anything of what they did to him?"

Antonio nodded once. "Yeah. He did. Just a bit."

Nothing more was said. Lovino came back moments later and curled up against Antonio, still shaking. Antonio wrapped his arms gently around Lovino, rubbing at his back trying to sooth the Italian.

'_You're just a scared kid, aren't you, Lovi?'_Antonio thought. '_I wish I could take all this from you, so you never had to be scared again...'_

Silence fell over the entire group. It wasn't normal for them to see Lovino so scared. Especially since he was out of danger now.

That night, Lovino got no rest. He kept waking due to nightmares. The last one wouldn't allow him to go back to sleep. He felt gross. Like trash. Again.

Lovino glanced at Antonio in silence. The Spaniard was always so gentle with him. It used to drive him mad. He was glad now. Because..it showed he cared about Lovino. Actually cared.

No tears fell. Thoughts came through. Memories flooded Lovino's brain. But no tears fell from his eyes. He was done crying over this shit. It wasn't worth it.

Worth. Worthless. He remembered that feeling. He had been told many times when he got told he was worthless while he was with the mafia. His nonno stayed out of it almost all the time. Lovino didn't get that privaledge. He had to be there. Or he'd be killed. That's why he was so scared now. He'd left. And by doing so, signed his own death wish.

But his shame would have killed him before they would if he had stayed. He was still scared it would now. Because that's all he felt towards himself. Shame. Self-loathing. He only acted together to help keep Feliciano held together.

..now if only he knew how to get out of this mess without injury. And without destroying what 'innocence' he still had. Feliciano would be fine. Ludwig and Gilbert and Vash would never let him get hurt. But he was defending himself. He wasn't going to hide behind someone else anymore.

**Here. Church sucked. Denmark was there. The others weren't. And I had to listen to someone yell for about and hour and a half. No thank you.**

**Ciao.**


	53. Chapter 53

**AN: Ciao, everyone. **

**Alright, I'm back now that I've had a bit of rest after my early-morning church escapade. I hated it, for the most part. The music and sunday school were okay. Came home with a headache from listening to preaching because the damned pastor (temporary/guest, that is) decided he was going to spend the hour and a half fucking yelling instead of talking like a normal human being. ...just go to hell, man. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Guest: (Hi). Lucky! Why can't church not be bad for me...god.. I'm glad you liked the chapter. I do update fast, I suppose. I have nothing else to do, really. Nothing to study as of now. **

**Spamano4ever: ..yeah..you're going to hate this chapter, mi amiga. But I promise, after this chapter, things will get better.**

**Enjoy.**

Antonio was surprised when Lovino didn't wake him up early. He blinked against the brightness to see that Lovino had already left. There was a note laying beside him. He grumbled, picking it up and unfolding it.

'_Antonio. I couldn't bring myself to wake you this morning. You were much too peaceful. Besides, I didn't want you to see how big of a mess I was this morning. I'll see you this evening after work unless you want to stop by during my break again. Don't worry too much about me today, Vash sent a gun with me, so I should be fine as long as I can use it if I have to. Just remember, I love you. No matter what. Lovino.'_

Antonio gave a faint smile and got up. He would definitely go see Lovino during his break.

When Antonio walked in, it was to see Lovino standing with a fist clenched against the table as one of the guests (definitely couldn't call them a customer) bugged him.

Antonio knew the stance. Lovino was trying to hold himself back from turning around and taking a punch or two. He was normally very keen on not fighting. But if he passed his limit, he would.

He watched in horror as the male tried to make Lovino turn to face him only to have a couple of plates broke over his head. "Leave me the fuck alone, you bastard."Lovino snapped, spitting at his feet before he huffed.

The other customers had fallen silent, watching this. It had never happened before, apparently.

Lovino's boss came out then and escorted the other man from the restruant. Lovino shook his head, cleaning up the broken glass of the plates in silence.

Antonio let Lovino finish before he came up and wrapped his arms around Lovino from behind. "Hey, baby."he said quietly.

Lovino smiled faintly, turning in Antonio's arms to smile up at him. "You came."

"'Course I did."Antonio said. "I missed you this morning. I couldn't go all day without seeing you.."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Sap."he accused softly. "You..didn't see that, right..?"

Antonio sighed. "I did."he replied, tucking a lock of the Italian's hair behind his ear. "Do I want to know what that was about...?"

Lovino hesitated before he sighed. "That was one of the inductees from the same week I was pulled into the mafia. He's been looking for me for some time. He wants out, too, but I can't help him. I have to keep Feli safe before. He's not too happy about it, but.."

"Well..hopefully he won't bother you again."Antonio said. "Now..how about you tell me what song you were thinking of performing Friday."

Lovino laughed. "Oh..god..I don't know."he said softly. "I'll have to figure that out soon, huh?"

Antonio nodded, releasing the Italian.

A few of the customers in the restruants were smiling at the scene. One of the families signalled Lovino over.

Lovino brushed past Antonio to go over, curious as to what it was about.

Antonio could hear the father of the small family speak softly to Lovino. "You two are very sweet together. But..I do want to know one thing. I saw his expression when he came in. Much more concern than one could find normal. Is there someone you're trying to stay safe from?"

Lovino panicked slightly. He couldn't say anything about his situation with kids around! He couldn't say anything period. "Just a group that's not too happy about me backing out."

A nod. "Alright. Well..stay safe, then."

"Grazie, sir."Lovino said before giving the others a soft smile and returning to Antonio's side.

He looked a bit bewildered and Antonio laughed lightly. "Surprised that not everyone are douchebags?"

Lovino rolled his eyes, shoving his shoulder lightly before he spoke. "Yeah. The people here are amazing. I just didn't expect that."

"Lovi!"

The Italian turned at the child's voice, eyes wide.

He was greeted with a small six year old holding her arms up. "'Marie. Why aren't you with your daddy? He said he was watching you today."he said, picking the small child up.

Antonio hid his smile as Lovino took the girl back to her dad.

When Lovino returned, it was to Antonio's soft cooing. "Oh, that was so cute."he commented.

"Bastard."Lovino replied, kissing his cheek. "If you're staying a while, find you something to do without causing injury. Cause..my break's about over."

Antonio shook his head. "I'll be here to pick you up this evening, okay?"he said.

Lovino nodded. When one of the other workers called his name through a door, signalling the end of his break, he gave Antonio a chaste kiss and disappeared.

"Te amo, Lovi!"Antonio called after him before he left.

Lovino's laughter followed him as he left.

That evening, Antonio was there to pick him up.

The rest of the day passed pretty quietly. The others had been informed of the mishap at the restruant, and Lovino spent most of his time trying to find the song he was going to perform on Friday.

_S&S_-

By the time Friday came around, Lovino was dreading his performance. It would take place during his break. While the others would be there, he worried about someone from the mafia coming in while he was performing. It was founded, of course, because it wouldn't be the first time someone from the mafia had come in while he was working.

Going into work, Lovino looked a bit worried. Not for the performance. For what could happen during it. He had the gun that Vash had given him with him, tucked out of sight from everyone else. His boss knew he had it, of course, and why. That was it. Everyone else would have to deal with it.

The morning rush was larger than normal and Lovino tried to be kind and happy with all of them. Only..he couldn't help but let some worry show. His nerves were getting the better of him.

Some of the customers who knew he would be performing wished him luck, the others gave him faint smiles of encouragement and let it go.

Either way, nothing bad happened.

The others came in right before Lovino's break officially began. But he wasn't working. His boss had called him off the job so he could get ready. They had a makeshift stage set up, and Lovino was seated on the floor in front of it, getting a guitar tuned in silence. Feliciano nearly plowed him over in a hug.

"Fratello, I can't breathe."Lovino gasped out.

Feliciano let him go and Vash laughed lightly.

When it was time for him to perform, he broke away from the chatter to get onstage.

The group had found seats in silence by that point. Lovino's boss leaned against a doorway, and the workers who were able to were standing nearby to watch Lovino play. They'd never really seen him play before.

Lovino looked over at Antonio and his meaning became clear to the Spaniard before he started playing.

It took Lovino a minute before he actually looked up again. Only when he began singing did he look up and meet anyone's eyes. Dead silence filled the rest of the restruant.

"_Sometimes it feels like I'm gonna break. Sometimes this world gives more than I can take. Sometimes, sunshine gets lost in the rain and it keeps pouring down It just keeps coming down."_

Feliciano tilted his head. He wasn't sure he'd heard Lovino play something like this before.

Lovino met Antonio's eyes again and smiled faintly.

"_This life would kill me if I didn't have you. I couldn't live without you, baby, I wouldn't want to. If you didn't love me so much, I'd never make it through 'cause this life would kill me..this life would kill me if I didn't have you."_

Lovino didn't continue. Mostly because the door opened again and he glanced over to see who it was. He froze up then, barely biting back a curse.

Vash went to get up, but Lovino shook his head and the Swiss nodded, letting Lovino stop and set the guitar aside. He crossed his arms and glared at the male who was standing in the doorway.

His glare was returned with a colder one.

"Romano."

Lovino swallowed before he spoke. "It's Lovino."he snapped. He knew he'd pay for it in the long run, but he hated playing by their rules. He still was, even after he'd said he was done and had walked out.

Lovino's boss seemed like he wanted to intervene, but he didn't when he saw Lovino shake his head.

The Italian climbed offstage, pausing by the table and looking to Vash. "Wenn die Dinge schlecht erhalten, erhalten alle anderen aus."he murmured.  
Vash gave him an understanding nod, as did Ludwig and Gilbert when he looked to them.

Lovino moved away and moved to stand in front of the male defiantly. "Why are you here?"

"I see someone's forgotten their manners."

Lovino took a step back to avoid a backhand. He was too used to that. "No. I just know to only use them with humane people. You are not one."he spat.

Vash looked at Lovino like he was crazy. Why the hell was he provoking the man?

The distinct accent in the other man's voice made him stop. Where had he heard the accent before?

"I'm here because you left. Unfinished business needs to be finished."

Lovino knew _exactly_ what he meant by that. He folded his hands behind his back carefully. "Alright, let's try this again, _sir."_

Patronizing. Antonio seemed to be picking up on what was going on. He looked at Vash. "He's not going to shoot him, is he?"he murmured.

Vash tilted his head. He studied his 'brother's stance. Then he noticed how Lovino had his hands. One was folded around the other, but there was a clear sign. "He is."he responded. "So help me. We gotta get the rest of these guys outta here before things go to hell."

Vash, Ludwig and Gilbert got up and started telling people that they needed to leave. Nobody objected. They seemed to realize that something was about to happen.

Ludwig stopped short when he found a gun pointing at him.

Lovino's attitude stopped. "Don't shoot him."he said. "Don't."

The man looked back at him. "You going to cooperate?"

Ludwig looked at Lovino, shaking his head slightly.

Lovino let his hands fall to his sides again. "Yes, sir."he responded. No patronizing tone.

Feliciano watched his brother.

The man lowered the gun and Ludwig met Lovino's eyes. "Go. Take Feli and leave. Please. Keep him safe."

Ludwig nodded and did as he was asked. The tone of Lovino's voice nearly broke even him.

As soon as Feliciano and Ludwig had disappeared from the building, Lovino met Vash's eyes.

The look there nearly made Vash laugh. But his heart was breaking from watching Lovino's resolve crumble like that. He understood. Lovino would do anything for his friends. And Ludwig was his friend, in an odd way.

But the look hiding in Lovino's eyes let Vash know it was an act. He was still going.

Lovino refolded his arms behind his back, this time making it seem like he had gone back to being submissive.

Antonio was watching in concern. He wasn't used to seeing his boyfriend like this.

He winced when Lovino got hit. He wanted to step in, but he knew Lovino would be pissed at him for it.

When the room was a bit louder due to Lovino's coworkers talking, trying to figure out what they were supposed to do, Lovino got the gun he had hidden out and cocked it behind his back without letting the man in front of him know what he was doing.

He froze when he found a blade placed against his throat. He knew the feeling of those blades well enough. They were sharp. Even now, he could feel a trickle of blood run down his neck. It was just a small prick right now.

It was at that point that Lovino met the man's gaze and knew he wouldn't get a good shot in. Not like this. As such, he uncocked the gun and put it back away. What else could he do?

He followed what instructions were given to him for a bare moment. As soon as he was a bit further back, he repeated his earlier actions. This time, he waited for the man to be distracted before he brought the gun around and fired off two shots. One injure, second kill. Lovino knew that by heart. He'd learned it from the same man he'd just shot at.

Hit both times. Lovino bit back a faint smile as he put the gun away again.  
Dead silence fell as the man hit the ground. Someone from his home country. Someone who was now dead.

The sound of sirens sounded then. Not even two minutes later, an ambulence crew was there, as were a couple cops.

Vash spoke with the cops while Lovino let Antonio take care of the slight cut on his neck.

Nobody said a word to Lovino. Antonio pulled him to him, laying his head against Lovino's shoulder. "Don't do that..I thought you'd given up.."he whispered.  
Lovino chuckled. "I still have some dignity, Toni. I would never give up, because..well..I don't like being treated like trash or some toy that people can throw aside."he said softly. "I just know how to act. Bide time."

Antonio nodded, pulling back and meeting Lovino's eyes. He shook his head. "I love you."he said.

Lovino smiled at him lightly. He still had blood staining his lips from the harsh hit he'd taken. He was used to it, but it didn't mean Antonio didn't hate it.

Antonio examined the red mark where Lovino had gotten hit. He sighed. "That's going to bruise."he pointed out.

"I have salve and concealer. I'm used to this."Lovino commented.

Antonio sighed, pressing a kiss to Lovino's lips. He pulled back and frowned. The taste of blood really bothered him, since he knew that Lovino was hurt by it. "Te amo."

Lovino smiled. "Ti amo."he said in return.

Vash spoke. "Lovino, c'mere, Bruder."

Lovino pulled away from Antonio to walk over to Vash, who was standing alone now.

The Swiss gave him a tight hug. "Never scare me like that again."

"He was going to shoot Ludwig. I might not like him too much, but he's done nothing to deserve that. If it meant I had to go back to how I was before, I would've done it. For any of you."

Vash let Lovino go. He looked at Lovino. "You realize how close you came to having what dignity you still have stolen from you, as well as what little innocence you still possess, right?"he asked.

Lovino sighed. "I'm well aware. I would lay that on the line if it meant protecting you guys, though. You all matter to me much more than myself."

Vash shook his head. "You're too noble, Lovino."he said. "But I'm very proud of you for how you handled the situation today."

Lovino nodded. "I'll just be glad when I can curl up and let myself break today."he grumbled. "It's been too much to handle."

Vash looked over that Lovino's boss, who nodded and motioned for them to go.

Vash led Lovino out, the others following.

As soon as they were at Antonio's Lovino collapsed, shaking.

"I was wondering if the fear would set in."

Lovino glowered at Gilbert. "It set in when that sorry bastard brought a gun out."he snapped.

Feliciano saw his brother and gave him a tight hug. "Lovi."he cried. "Are you okay?"

Lovino pushed Feliciano back and gave him a smile. "Yeah. I'm just fine."he said softly.

Man, it had turned out to be one hell of a day, Lovino thought silently.

**This is the last mafia involvement outside of the past memories brought out by Lovino through the story. Damn, I hated writing this. I wanted to just erase all of it and not do it. But I had to do this.**

**Bye.**


	54. Chapter 54

**AN: Hello, guys. **

**Just so you guys know, I did actually do my research with the last chapter since it was dealing with the mafia. In a lot of places, some people in the mafia who normally handle guns do have a system. One shot if it's meant to only injure. Two shots if meaning to kill. Fucking scared the shit out of me when I figured some of that shit out. Dani was the one who helped me find it in an old as fuck text. Anyways..moving on. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: (Chapter 52): Of course! He's Toni! He doesn't care if he kills someone if it means keeping his angel safe. But..he won't because he'd be taken away. Or Lovi would kill him. One of the two. **

**GothicKitty1313: ...sadistic much? I mean, I hated the bastard too, but...damn. **

**Spamano4ever: Much, at least. Just a few minor things that can be hidden with ease. **

**Enjoy. **

The others got woke up around two thirty that morning to Lovino's screams. Antonio immediately set about waking the Italian up from his troubled sleep.

As soon as Lovino woke up, he found himself being questioned.  
"Lovino, are you okay?"Francis asked softly.

Lovino looked over at Francis for a moment before he finally relaxed again. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Ludwig frowned. "You don't seem okay."he said. "Memories?"

Lovino nodded once. He glanced at his watch before he sighed. He got up and grumbled something under his breath. He paused to grab some clothes before he disappeared into the bathroom.

Feliciano frowned. "I wish that I could help him..."he said. "But he never told me what all happened to him."

Antonio sighed. He knew which memories had come forward for Lovino.

Vash looked over at Antonio. He'd been roped into staying over by Lovino. He spoke softly. "You think...?"

Antonio nodded. "Yeah."he said quietly.

When Lovino rejoined the group, he seemed a bit better. He was alright with Antonio pulling him into a tight hug, but shied away when Antonio went to kiss his cheek.

Antonio understood, so he didn't bother taking offense to the reaction. "Te amo, mi angel."he whispered.

Lovino shook his head. "I'm no angel,"he commented, looking back at Antonio. "But I love you too."

Antonio laughed. "Yes you are. You're my angel."he said. Back to this again. He was okay with that.

"An angel's pure. I'm not."Lovino countered.

Antonio rolled his eyes, letting him have it. "Fine."

Feliciano picked it up, though. "Lovi, you are too pure!"he said. "You always have been."

Lovino sighed. "I haven't been pure since I was twelve, Feli."he countered. "And it's nothing you need to know about."

Silence fell for the longest before Gilbert spoke up. "Lovi..what happened to you..?"he asked. "When you were with the mafia."

Lovino sighed, letting his eyes close. "I can't tell you. But..I did keep a journal of my time with the mafia. If you wanna know, you can read that. It's in my bookbag. I was intending to burn it."

Gilbert got up and got the journal before he settled back down.

Lovino let it be.

Gilbert stayed up to read while everyone else went back to sleep. He wanted to know why Lovino was always so scared and hesitant to accept people's affection. He'd wanted to know for ages. Now he knew a bit of it, he was determined to figure out the rest.

He finished just as Lovino woke back up the following morning. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at his friend.

This was what the others saw when they woke up. Gilbert's eyes confused and full of tears he wouldn't let fall and Lovino's sad smile.

After a moment, Gilbert spoke. "I'm going to fucking kill them!"he snapped.

Lovino flinched at the tone. He wasn't used to Gilbert or any of his friends using it and it was so close to the tone he'd grown used to with the mafia.

Matthew took the journal and read through some of it before he looked at his best friend. "Well..there's one good thing. With us..you'll never go through this kind of thing again. Promise."

Lovino nodded once.

Antonio took the journal from Matthew, reading through bits before he frowned. This was much more detailed than what he'd been told. He knew it all already, but it stung to see so many details. "Lovi..I love you."he whispered, burying his face against Lovino's neck as he hugged his boyfriend tightly.

Lovino chuckled faintly, but it was week. "I love you too."he responded, running his fingers through Antonio's hair gently.

As soon as Antonio sat up, he kissed Lovino's cheek before he glanced at the bruise that was forming. It was dark. He winced. "This shouldn't've happened."he murmured.

Lovino shrugged. "I've had worse,"

And he had. Just since him and Antonio had been together, he'd had much worse. His back was still scarred up pretty bad from the last time when he'd left the mafia for good.

Antonio just hoped things got better from here. Because he didn't want Lovino hurt again.

**Bed. I've got school in the morning. And four days worth of cosplaying. Friday we cancelled our cosplay plans as it is then Day of Silence. **

**Ciao.**


	55. Chapter 55

**AN: Hej,**

**Here's the new chapter. And just to clarify before anyone asks due to this story...I'm not a sadist. I'll go ahead and apologize, because it will seem like I'm a sadist for a while. But it's important to what I'm planning to do with this story.**

**To those who reviewed:  
ThatRandomReview: More than likely both. Get some sleep!**

**Spamano4ever: I'm so sorry for hurting him..at all. **

**Enjoy.**

_A scream filled the air. Lovino immediately regretted not biting it back, because he got backhanded for it. He was in enough pain as it was. He could only withstand so much pain at a time. This had already reached double past that limit. _

_"Stop fucking screaming, you worthless piece of shit!"_

_Lovino didn't respond. He didn't cry out, he didn't meet the man's eyes. He didn't look up from where he was kneeled on the floor. He was trash. Worthless. But he was doing this, going through all this pain to keep Feliciano safe. It was worth it. _

_The man in front of him grabbed a handful of hair and pulled him up harshly, making him want to cry out in pain again. He bit his lip and stood without a sound. _

_"You're done for the day. Get outta here before I can change my mind."_

_As soon as he was released, Lovino grabbed his jacket and ran._

_He didn't break until that night after Feliciano and his nonno had gone to sleep. Then he let the sobs come out. He felt sick. He was discusted with himself. Worthless._

Lovino snapped back to the present when Antonio touched his shoulder gently.

"You okay, love?"

Lovino gave a fake smile and nodded. It was nearing Christmas day. He hated the holiday. He really did. Mostly because of what happened when he was twelve on Christmas eve. He'd never liked Christmas after that. The pain kept him from enjoying it.

Antonio wrapped his arms gently around him. "Lovi...you're zoning."he said quietly.

They were currently sitting alone by the fire inside while the others were outside playing in the snow. Lovino hadn't felt like being around the others, seeing the pitying looks. He'd gotten a call from his boss saying to miss work for the next few days to recoup from that scare. The restruant was closed until everyone had recovered from the scare. Antonio had opted to stay with Lovino inside.

Lovino didn't look at Antonio as he spoke. "Toni..why do you love me? I'm just some broken kid.."he said, looking over at the Spaniard.

Antonio gave him a soft smile. "I love you because you're you, Lovino. You're my everything. Sure, there's a lot of baggage in your past that still haunts you..but you're much more than just some broken kid. You're my fallen angel. You're my reason to continue through the hard times."he said softly. "I love you because I can't live without you. I don't want to."

Lovino's eyes teared up. That was...the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to him. And it countered everything he'd been told in the past. A few tears fell and Antonio wiped them away silently.

Neither of them could bring themselves to speak again after that, not for a long while.

Then Antonio broke it again. "You don't want Feli to know about what happened to you."he said softly. "Why?"

"He's still innocent. I had mine stolen from me. I don't want the same to happen with Feli."Lovino responded. "He wants to help, and I love him dearly for it, but..I don't want him to lose his innocence."

Antonio nodded. After a long moment, he turned Lovino's head gently so that the Italian met his eyes. "I love you."he whispered before he kissed Lovino softly.

Lovino returned the kiss for a moment before he pulled back. Antonio sighed. Lovino still tasted like blood. He hated that.

"You realize I'd never hurt you, right?"Antonio asked.

Lovino smiled. "I know."he responded. "You're much to sweet to. And you aren't a sadist, thank god."

Antonio scowled. "You shouldn't've had to put up with that, Lovi."he said, huffing. "I wish I could take all this from you. Let you live your life like you want instead of living in shame and fear all the damn time."

Lovino shrugged. "I stopped showing my shame a long time ago, Antonio. Then it just turned into pure discust. It doesn't matter. It'll never change. I wouldn't wish my past on my worst enemy."he said quietly. "By the way..I'm sorry about yesterday."

Antonio shook his head, tightening his arms around Lovino's middle. "No. Don't be sorry. I get it. Just promise me you'll never give up."

Lovino smiled, crossing his heart.

Antonio gently reached up and ran his fingers over the bruising on his boyfriend's cheek. He couldn't stand the sight of it.

Lovino nuzzled Antonio's hand lightly, once again happy that he was so gentle. He kissed Antonio's palm, smiling against it.

Antonio chuckled, withdrawing his hand. "You looked scared when you started acting yesterday."

"I was."Lovino said. "Because I wasn't acting. Not until Feli and Ludwig left. I did go back to how I used to be for a bit. I would go through all that pain again as long as my brother and the rest of you guys are safe. I'm just glad that I could get a good couple shots in before I..."

Lovino trailed off and Antonio nodded. "I know."he whispered. "It's okay."

Lovino sighed. "I am so lucky to have you."he said quietly.

Antonio laughed lightly. "I could say the same."he said. Then his smile fell. "Is that why you weren't keen on physical contact?"

"I was scared you'd hurt me back then."Lovino said. "Back when we first got together...the week before..that was my last...it was the last time they decided to _use_ me."he bit the last bit out. "I didn't want to be hurt anymore, so I didn't want to open up to you."

Antonio sighed. "Well...no matter what, I love you. That will never change."

Lovino nodded and settled against Antonio's side. It had been a long couple of days. He was still terrified from what happened yesterday.

Antonio looked back down at Lovino after a long while of silence to see the small Italian asleep against him. _Good. He needs the rest after yesterday._

**Fuck! I hate this! I'm so, so, so sorry guys!**

**And yes. I can't sleep. So I'm writing on new chapters and stuff until I can. **


	56. Chapter 56

**AN: Guten Morgen.**

**Here's the new chapter. I'm trying to be quick about this one. **

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: It's okay. Just...calm down, though. The mafia..they're jerks and need to die, si? Well..karma's a bitch.**

**Guest: (Hi) Oh..I have insomnia. Thanks!**

**ThatRandomReview: I'm sorry! And I hate to say it, but things will get worse before they get better.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino woke back up after everyone else filtered in, laughter ringing in the air. He looked over at them before he half smiled and looked away again.

He settled back down and let himself fall back to sleep. Antonio smiled faintly. Francis tilted his head. "Is he feeling any better?"he asked.

Antonio looked at Francis before he spoke quietly, careful not to wake Lovino. "I don't know about feeling better, but..well, at least he's resting."he responded.

Francis nodded in understanding. "Got it."he said softly.

_S&S_-

"I'm serious, you need to get some help, Lovino. You'll never get past it otherwise. I may not know what happened to you, but I did look back once I got Feli out of there like you asked me. The look in that guy's eyes? It was feral. It didn't spell anything good for you if you hadn't shot like you did."Ludwig said.

Antonio and Ludwig both had been questioning Lovino.

The day had already gotten off to a bad start. Two days until Christmas eve. Lovino just wasn't in the mood to deal with this.

"I get it, Ludwig."he snapped. "Just..got, would you two just let me _breathe?_ Ever since that mess at the restruant, you've both been over the top concerned. Even Vash isn't this bad and he is beyond overprotective of Feli and me. _Back off._ _Both_ of you."

Ludwig sighed and nodded, leaving out to keep an eye on Feliciano outside.

Antonio didn't leave, though. He spoke softly. "Lovi.."

"Just go away, Antonio."Lovino said, turning his back on the Spaniard. "..I just need some time alone."

Antonio sighed. He turned and headed out as well, letting the Italian stand alone at one of the back windows in the house.

Lovino watched him in the reflection of the glass. As soon as he heard the door snap shut behind Antonio, Lovino let the tears he'd been fighting all morning fall. He hated this. He didn't want to be around anyone. It was too hard to act happy around them now that they'd seen a bit of his past. He was sick of running, of fighting. Of being scared for his life and the lives of those closest to him. He shot a look at the front door. He grabbed his coat and boots, putting them on before he disappeared out the back door. He still had the gun Vash had handed him, as well as his bladed necklace. He was going to end this. He hated living in fear.

Antonio entered about a half hour later with the others and frowned at the empty room. "Lovi?"he called into the house. He poked around for a moment before he realized that Lovino had taken off and cursed, taking off in search of the Italian without a word to the others.

Vash didn't have to be told what had happened. He sighed and looked at Ludwig. "Keep Feli with you. I'll call if Toni or me find him."he said, turning and heading out as well. He'd stopped in that morning to check up on his 'brothers' concerned about how they were doing.

An hour passed in terse silence for the group before Gilbert's phone went off. He answered it, placing it on speaker. Vash's voice sounded through the speaker. "Alright. We'll be back in about an hour. All of us. We took Lovi to his work place, since his boss lives upstairs over the place. Just..he's not in the best condition right now."

"Figures,"Gilbert mumbled. "Thanks, Vash. See ya."

With that, the Prussian hung up.

However, when the three entered, Gilbert's eyes widened. "You fucking downplayed it!"he snapped at Vash, making the injured Italian beside Vash flinch violently. He hated that tone.

Gilbert backpedaled, apologizing quickly. "What happened, Lovi."

"Repeat of history,"Lovino spat out. "I want this to fucking end. I hate being scared all the damn time."

Gilbert sighed. "Okay. Well, listen, you settle down and get some rest, okay? You'll need it for your return back to work tomorrow."

Lovino nodded, doing as he was asked to do.

It didn't take long for Lovino to fall asleep, using Antonio's lap as a pillow.

Soft chatter filled the room, everyone being careful not to wake Lovino up from his rest, knowing he needed it after the day he'd had.

Sometime around one that morning, before everyone else had gone to sleep, Lovino started crying out again. Antonio immediately woke him up and set about calming him down. Feliciano frowned sadly at his brother. It was odd, seeing Lovino so broken. He'd never been like this before.

_It's almost Christmas. Hopefully somebody will finally have a break through with Lovi and help him._ Feliciano thought. But he knew he shouldn't count on it. He just wanted to see his brother be carefree and happy again. Like he used to be when he first got with Antonio. He looked away from his brother. He couldn't watch this anymore. He wanted Lovino to be okay again.

**I know it's short, but I can't continue this chapter anymore. **


	57. Chapter 57

**AN: Here. New chapter. **

**So..some people asked about something I had written on my hand today..which was terrible since it's on my right hand and I'm right handed. Liebe ist lauter als Hass. Love is louder than Hate. Anyone know of the Love Is Louder organization? Yeah..that's what that's for. I'm doing something every so often like this. On another note..Wednsday, I doubt I'll get much in on an update, if I do an update. Drama club meeting after school..about Friday. The Day of Silence. We're putting something special together. More details will be given if you want to message me about it. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Oh, they already know. What do you think happened? When something like that happens, it's posted on every news station for the next three days at the least. So they know. Which is why Lovi's so scared, not only for his life, but his friends' and brother's lives. **

**Enjoy.**

Feliciano once again woke up the following morning to the sound of someone playing a song. This time, though, it was a much more sorrowful song.

He looked over to see Lovino sitting against a wall under a window, dressed for work with the pale light falling over him from outside as he played guitar.

But that was okay. What really hurt was the lyrics that Lovino was singing quietly. They echoed in the quiet as everyone woke up.

"_...sound the bugle now..play it just for me...as the seasons change, remember how I used to be. Now I can't go on..I can't even start..I've got nothing left, just an empty heart. I'm a soldier wounded so I must give up the fight..there's nothing more for me..lead me away...or leave me lying here."_

Antonio's eyes softened as he sat up and listened to his boyfriend. It wasn't normal for him to play something like this.

"_Sound the bugle now, tell them I don't care..there's not a road I know that leads to anywhere. Without a light I fear that I will stumble in the dark, lay right now, decide not to go on..."_

Feliciano hated the pain in his brother's voice. Lovino stopped playing and set the guitar aside, his eyes never leaving his hands.

"Lovi..?"Feliciano asked, his own eyes filled with tears.

Lovino looked up at his brother before he gave a fake smile. "Good morning,"he said. But his voice sounded dead. He was hurting.

"What's going on?"

Lovino shook his head. "Nothing, Feli."he responded. Lie. "I gotta go. Talk to you guys later."he added, getting up and grabbing his coat before he disappeared.

As soon as Lovino left, Feliciano's shoulders sank. He allowed a few tears to fall as he stared at the front door, willing his brother to walk back in.

But he didn't.

He was the only one who knew what that tone had meant with Lovino. It meant giving up. Or something close to it. He was giving up his fight.

_S&S_-

"Lovino, tomorrow's Christmas eve. Pep up and stop being such a downer!"

Lovino looked over at the girl who'd spoken. Elizabeta. A coworker. Someone he knew from school last year. She'd graduated the previous year.

"Liz..."Lovino started. They were both currently in the kitchen, Lovino working on an Italian meal, Elizabeta trying to help where she could. Right now, that came in the form of cheering the Italian up.

"Don't 'Liz' me, Lovino. I know, I know, you hate Christmas. Whatever. Be happy. For Feli. For Toni. Ever think that they're worried about you?"

Lovino didn't answer until he finished the last of what he was doing. "I know."he said. His voice sounded miserable. "And they're endangering themselves by doing so."

Elizabeta examined Lovino's bruised up face for a moment. That's why Lovino was doing kitchen work instead of waiting tables. He didn't want the questions. "They do it because they love you."

"And I love them."Lovino responded. "Which is why I'm leaving. I can't have them putting themselves in danger because of me."

Dead silence fell. Everyone in hearing distance had stopped to look at Lovino. They'd grown used to the Italian being around, cracking crude and inappropriate jokes and smiling at the customers with ease, discussing anything and everything. And now..

"Leaving?"

Elizabeta looked down before she shook her head. "Lovino Romano Vargas, you listen to me."she bit out, looking back up at the Italian. "Feliciano needs you here. You're the only damn family the boy has left! And Toni..he'd be heart broken if you left now!"

"Better heart broken than dead,"Lovino snapped. "And at the rate things are going? That's where it's headed."

Elizabeta huffed, shaking her head. "Fine. Leave. Just know you're a selfish bastard for doing so."she said. "You think just because you go away that they'll be safe? No. They'll be even bigger targets. To everyone."

"Then I guess that what I was always told is right. The only thing I can do right is run away. Because I'm hurting them by staying, I'l hurt them if I leave. What the fuck am I supposed to do, Liz? Tell me."Lovino said, finally turning to look Elizabeta full in the eye. "Am I supposed to stick around and let Feli and Toni torture themselves by watching me fall to pieces? I'm just some big screw up as it is, why not finalize it?"  
After he said that, his shift ended and he immediately left.

When Lovino came in and slammed the door behind him, throwing his coat on the rack before he went to get changed, Antonio knew something was wrong. He'd never done this before. Antonio caught Lovino's hand as he passed.

Lovino looked at Antonio for a moment before he went to pull his hand away.

Antonio tightened his grip. "Hey, what's wrong?"he asked.

"Toni, don't."Lovino said. "Just don't."

This time, Lovino did pull his hand away and he disappeared to get changed.

As soon as Lovino came back, Antonio looked at him. "What's going on?"he asked.

"Nothing. Just a long day at work,"

'_Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Lovi,'_Antonio thought. But he said nothing of the sort. "Wanna talk about it?"he asked.

Lovino sighed. "No."he said. "I just want to forget it ever happened."

Antonio nodded and let the topic drop.

Feliciano spoke. "Lovi..tomorrow's Christmas eve. Are we going to continue our traditions?"

Lovino met his brother's eyes for a moment before he gave a faint smile and nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

_"Yeah. Sure. I'll do it."Lovino's voice wavered a bit with his nerves. But he'd do anything to keep Feliciano safe. Anything. Including this. _

_His nonno gave him a sad look before he left. He should have known to never let Lovino figure things out. He should have known. _

_Lovino heard a cold laugh from behind him. He kept his panic hidden perfectly in front of these people. _

_The snow drifting down outside had fascinated Lovino before he came into this place. Now..now it seemed uninviting. Because it was cold. Like these people. _

_"Alright, lesson one." someone said beside him, dead in his personal space. "No noise. You scream, you pay for it. You say something without permission, you pay for it. Got it?"_

_Lovino went to respond verbally before he caught on and gave a curt nod. _

_He could handle this._

_Then the bastard had to go and tug at that stupid fucking curl. Lovino bit back his normal exclamation, biting down on his lip to keep it in. He frowned when he tasted blood. _

_The next hour was torture. It was Christmas. Why were these people torturing him like this? Normally, people were kinder during Christmas. These people were just sadistic. Lovino hadn't managed to follow his lesson through for that hour. He cried out in pain once and he had paid dearly for it. The resulting blow from a cane to the back of his left knee hurt like a bitch and he only barely swallowed the yelp of pain from that._

"Lovi!"

Feliciano's panicked voice called him back to the present.

Lovino blinked at his brother.

Feliciano relaxed. "You have to stop that!"he said. "You're letting them win."

Lovino sighed. "I know. I can't help it."he mumbled, rubbing at the back of his left knee as a phantom pain lit up there from the memory. "I'm working on it, I swear."

Antonio spoke softly. "How's this...the bad memories..how about we find a way to give you good memories to replace them. Like Christmas. I get the feeling you don't like it due to something that happened to you."

Lovino nodded.

"So let us help you forget about that by getting you to enjoy a Christmas. Once."Antonio said.

Lovino hesitated before he agreed. "Okay."he mumbled.

This was going to be interesting...

**Here ya go. I feel so mean now..**


	58. Chapter 58

**AN: Here. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: It's fine. Everyone has those moments. He's not going anywhere. Feli won't allow it. **

**Spamano4ever: He does need a lot of love. Don't worry..Toni won't let him suffer much. You know how he is..**

**Enjoy**

Lovino wasn't keen on letting the others know about his day. As such, he had succumed to sleep much earlier than normal.

As a result, he woke up early to get ready for work. He hoped he could patch things up there today.

Lovino left that morning before anyone else was up, heading to work early. Just to get out of the house and be able to think. Be on his own.

Work was a nightmare. He fixed things as much as he could. But things still sucked. Because it was Christmas eve. And those fucking memories kept snapping him out of focus.

By the time he got 'home', he just wanted to curl up and never move again.

Feliciano noticed and fixed Lovino some hot cocoa. He passed it to his brother. "Get some rest, Lovi. You need it."

Lovino gave his brother a faint smile and a hug. "We still have traditions, you know. I'm not going to let those go."

Feliciano sighed. "They can wait. You're exhausted. Get some rest."

Lovino nodded and sipped at his cocoa. "What did you add to this?"he asked after a moment.

Feliciano half smiled. "Should've known I couldn't get it past you. Catnip."

"Thanks, Feli."Lovino said softly. He finished his drink and took the mug to the kitchen, rinsing it out before he returned to his spot in the living room, curled up against Antonio.

After Lovino was sound asleep, the group got to talking.

"Tomorrow's going to be interesting."Gilbert said. "Christmas is always a disaster.."

Feliciano shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe it'll be nice this year.."

"Don't count on it."

_S&S_-

Lovino blinked his eyes open before he closed them against the brightness. He curled up further only to realize he was once again curled up against Antonio. He smiled for the first time in a while. He'd missed the calmness of waking up like this. He leaned up and kissed Antonio's cheek, waking him up the rest of the way.

Antonio smiled softly at Lovino. "Happy Chirstmas, Lovi."he said quietly.

"Happy Christmas."Lovino said in response.

Antonio smiled, stealing a kiss before he shifted. He blinked at the clock before he looked at the others. He smiled at Lovi. "Help me wake them up."he whispered.

Lovino nodded and got up, setting about helping Antonio wake the others up.

As soon as everyone was up, things settled into a nice routine. Lovino was smiling and laughing and joking again. He was back to normal.

Feliciano grinned. Lovino'd never been like this on Christmas before.

It was nice.

The best thing about the day, Lovino thought later, was getting to spend the day with the others. It had made it perfect and had replaced one of his worst memories.

Antonio grinned, stealing another kiss from Lovino while the Italian was cooking before he went about his own business again.

Yes, things had been perfect. Lovino loved it.

Lovino and Feliciano ended up goofing off and singing Christmas carols for the hell of it. It was tradition for the brothers.

**Now. Bed. I know it's short. But I gotta sleep.**


	59. Chapter 59

**AN: New chapter.**

**Just so you guys know, I might not be able to update tomorrow until after eight. I have a drama club meeting after school until four and then I have church as well. We'll see how the schedule works out. But, I will definitely let you guys know what the meeting was about if you want to shoot me a message tomorrow about it. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: Good luck with your testing! **

**Spamano4ever: I'm glad you liked it!**

**Enjoy**

_Well..this year wasn't too bad,_ Lovino mused after everyone had gone to sleep. He was curled up against Antonio again, listening to his steady heartbeat. He gave a faint smile_. In fact...this year is probably one of my favorites._

With that, Lovino succumbed to sleep like the others.

The following morning, he woke up to quiet talking from the others.

"..still, it was nice to see him smiling again." Feliciano.

Lovino blinked slightly, looking over at his brother tiredly.

Feliciano grinned. "Lovi! You're up!"

Lovino nodded, pushing himself to sit up, rubbing at his eyes. "What time is it..?"he asked.

"Close to ten,"Antonio replied.

Lovino cursed. "What?! Why didn't one of you wake me?! I was supposed to go to work today!"  
Feliciano laughed lightly. "Your boss called, told us to tell you to take the day off. You've worked yourself too much,"

Lovino relaxed slightly, shaking his head. "God..."he grumbled. "I'm not made to put up with stuff like that.."

Antonio chuckled. "You worry too much."he pointed out.

"Someone has to,"

Ludwig gave Lovino a soft smile. "Not constantly. Besides, after all that's happened? Let someone else worry for a while."

Lovino huffed. "Yeah, yeah."he grumbled.

Still, the day was nice.

_S&S_-

The days flew by and New Years eve brought around a lot of drama. The threat of the mafia was still hanging over Lovino. This time, it extended to Feliciano as well as himself. He came in from work, clutching a note in his hand. His eyes were dim as he got changed out of his work uniform and returned to the living room to sit with the others.

Antonio took the note from Lovino in silence and uncrumpled it, reading through it. "You're going...?"

Lovino was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I have to."he responded. "Because I don't want you guys hurt, any of you."

Antonio looked at the note for a long while. "No."he finally said. "You aren't going. We're going to deal with this, and you are staying out of the brunt of it."

Gilbert took the note from Antonio and got up, disappearing into the kitchen in silence. They'd been waiting on this for days now.

Lovino let Antonio pull him into a tight hug and sighed.

Antonio could feel the faint shaking of his boyfriend, and frowned. He knew it was from fear, and he hated it.

Gilbert came back moments later, talking on the phone quickly. "Alright, thank you so much. I'll be down there in about an hour."

Without another word, the prussian hung up and grabbed his coat. "We're getting this taken care of. I'll be back soon."he said, pausing at the door to grab one of the guns that Ludwig and him had taken to leaving on the table near the front door, hiding it from view before he disappeared out the door.

It didn't even take Gilbert two hours to return with a bright grin on his face. "I just love how detailed people are in notes."he said. "Police are on the way to that meeting place now, Lovino. After this, it's all over."

Lovino gave a slight smile. _Over._ Sounds so nice.

Antonio noticed Lovino relax and half smiled. "You're ready for this all to end, aren't ya?"

Lovino nodded. He looked up at Gilbert. "Thank you."he said.

Gilbert shrugged, dropping the gun back where it had been and hanging his coat back up before returning to his seat beside Matthew. "You're welcome. Now quit stressing so much and enjoy your New Year's eve."

_Five..four...three..two...one..._

Lovino had been watching the clock for the last hour, watching the new year inch closer.

He smiled lightly when Antonio came up behind him and hugged him tightly. "Happy New Year, my love."

Lovino turned in the Spaniard's arms. "Happy New Year,"he responded, leaning up to steal a kiss from him.

Antonio smiled against his lips before he pulled back. "Te amo."

"..Ti amo."Lovino responded quietly, letting his head rest against Antonio's shoulder gently. "No matter what I say, I do love you."

Antonio chuckled. "Good."he mumbled.

It had turned into a nice evening for the group. The others were all currently laughing and joking. Lovino was happy with this quiet moment with Antonio. It was much sweeter and more meaningful. They'd become a lot more subdued with each other recently, instead of always joking and everything, the quiet moments like this meant much more to them.

**Here you go. **


	60. Chapter 60

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Ouch. Sorry. Those suck. And..perhaps. You'll see, I promise!**

**Enjoy.**

The group's first day back at school, Lovino seemed much more relaxed with the group. Vash and Roderich were once again sitting with them and Vash was glad to see that Lovino was more relaxed. He watched the exchange in the group with a faint smile. They were once again trading playful insults.

He noticed when Gilbert's smile fell, though.

"Lovi.."

But the Prussian didn't finish fast enough before Lovino found himself jerked up and spun to face someone else.

Antonio's eyes narrowed dangerously as he got up.

But Lovino shook his head when he saw Antonio move in the corner of his eye, making the Spaniard stop.

The male spared Antonio the barest of glances before he spoke to Lovino. "I don't know what the hell you thought you were doing when you got your little friend to send the police out, but you do realize what happened to the last person who did that, right?"

Lovino didn't blink. "They were killed. I told no one to do anything. And you aren't laying a hand on any of them."he said, glaring at the male. "And by the way, I'd love to see you try to kill me."

Antonio wanted to intervene, but he knew that Lovino wouldn't like that too much, so he stayed out of it.

"I'm sick of you and your little buddies, okay? You've laid enough threats on the line, go through with one,"Lovino said, crossing his arms.

The male went to do just that, but he hesitated last second at the Italian's unwavering glare. "Fine."he spat. "You're done. Not like you had much use anyways, huh? Just some _toy_."

Antonio held himself back from punching the man when he said that, but Lovino did no such thing. He managed a good punch before Vash pulled him back. Even so, after Vash pulled him back, Lovino spat at the man's feet. "I'm no one's _toy_. I never have been. No matter what you or anyone else may think. I did what I did to keep my brother safe. I'd do it all again. But I'm not a toy."

The man's sadistic smile made Lovino faulter for only a split second. "Aw..still so fiesty."he commented. He looked to Antonio before he scoffed. "Have fun with him. Lord knows I sure did."

With that the man left. Antonio glared after him before he closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "He is so lucky I don't have a knife on me."he said, shaking his head.

Vash let go of Lovino and sat back down.

Roderich was looking at Lovino in confusion. "May I ask what he was implying, Lovino?"

"You can. Doesn't mean I'm going to give you a straight out answer,"Lovino responded, looking over at the Austrian. But he got his answer from the Italian's eyes.

Roderich sighed and shook his head. "You're one strong person, Lovino."

Lovino paued for a moment before he responded. "No. I'm not. I just have something worth fighting for. So I fight,"

Antonio sat back down and pulled Lovino down as well.

They were both silent as they walked to Lovino's first block.

"Listen, Lovi..just forget about those jerks, okay?"Antonio said after a while. "It doesn't matter what they say about you or what they've done to you to me. Because I love you no matter what."

Lovino half smiled. "I love you too."

When they stopped outside of Lovino's first class, Antonio leaned down and kissed Lovino once softly. He gave a soft smile when he pulled back. "Te amo, mi angel."

Lovino gave a smile as well, leaning up to steal one last kiss. "Ti amo,"he whispered before he headed into class.

When lunch came around, things had settled back down.

The group was back to trading playful insults and joking around.

Antonio passed Lovino one of the tomatoes he'd packed that morning, gaining an amused smile. It was a running joke with them now. Had been for a while. "Grazie, Toni."

Antonio shrugged and set about eating his own lunch.

The new year had brought around a lot of things. Sadık and Hercales had broken up, but that was probably for the best. A lot of people had changed their outlooks on certain things, and most of the other kids left the group alone. A vast improvement already.

Gilbert smiled softly at something Matthew had whispered to him, giving the canadian a chaste kiss before he responded.

It was nice. Things were calm for a change.

**Here ya go!**


	61. Chapter 61

**AN: Hola!**

**Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: They're out of the picture now. They will never bother Lovi and the others again! Swear! And of course Lovi didn't deny he's an Angel! He's surrendered himself to his fate!**

**Spamano4ever: Yeah. Though I must say that I like it better when Lovi's happy instead of being violent.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino couldn't help but notice that after the last issue with the mafia, things settled perfectly into their old rhythm. He loved that. He could relax, finally.

Antonio spent a lot of time trying to help him erase the memories of his time with the mafia.

He'd had a few people ask him what the confrontation had been about. He never answered them, though. They didn't need to know.

As soon as things went back to normal, Lovino let Feliciano talk him into wearing the wings again. This time to symbolize the end of a struggle.

So, when Lovino came into the school with the wings on the following morning, a bit later than the others, he got a few grins from the others.

Antonio grinned. "Well, I see someone's back to wearing their angel wings."he said. "Going to keep them for a while this time?"  
Lovino smiled and took a seat beside Antonio. "..perhaps. We'll see."he replied.

Antonio ran a hand over the surprisingly soft feathers. "I still believe you really are an angel of some sort, you know."he commented dryly.

"I know."Lovino said. "Now quit that."

He deftly caught Antonio's hand, gaining a few laughs from the others and a pout from Antonio. "But Lovi~! They're so soft!"

Lovino laughed softly, giving Antonio a soft kiss. "Stop."he murmured when he pulled back. "Please?"

Antonio pouted for a moment before he agreed. "Fine.."

Feliciano grinned at his brother. "So, you've accepted that you _are_ an angel in his eyes?"he asked.

Lovino sighed. "Yeah. I might as well. Saves me a lot of wasted breath that way."

Nobody argued with that logic.

Lovino got some odd looks on the way to first block that morning. Antonio kept a steady stream of words going and Lovino responded easily.

Antonio kissed Lovino's cheek before heading to his own class.

By lunch, things had become more normal.

Lovino was exhaused when he sat down beside Antonio and immediately leaned against the Spaniard.

Lukas, who had been pulled to lean against Mathias's chest, blinked at the Italian. "You feeling alright?"

"Just tired,"Lovino grumbled, looking at Lukas, who gave him a soft smile.

"Work getting to you?"

Lovino nodded and let himself drift.

Still, he didn't actually go to sleep. Just a bit of a catnap.

Quiet fell for the longest. It was something they'd become used to.

_A lot of times, the worst situations can have the best results,_ Lovino thought that evening as he stood with the others outside the school building. _This is one of those times. I just hope it lasts._

**Sorry, I know it's short. I was being rushed. I have to get to bed so I can focus tomorrow during the Drama meeting. **

**Ciao!**


	62. Chapter 62

**AN: Hey, guys. **

**The plan for Friday at my school will be posted on Friday morning, kay? Cause I've taken a vow not to tell, just in case. But it's gonna be good!**

**Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed:  
ThatRandomReview: Yeah, I get it. And yes, Lovi's life should stay pretty decent for a good bit. Hopefully. I dunno, my writing kinda..takes a life and mind of it's own, so maybe. We'll just have to wait and see. **

**Spamano4ever: He is, isn't he? **

**Penguin Braginski: I know! The awkward thing? The Romano in the cosplay group at my school..well, he reads this, he acts as kinda like my beta, just after I post it, and gives me feedback about it. He's actually got a pair of Fallen angel wings. And he has wore them to school before. I flipped out yesterday because he did that. I mean, damn it, man, don't do crap like that around me! And yes, Lovi's finally done. They said he's done, he's done.**

**Enjoy. **

_"Have fun with him. Lord knows I sure did."_

That bit still haunted Antonio. He hated those sorry bastards. They'd hurt his Lovi. But still, he didn't let his hatred show around the Italian in fear of him thinking that it was directed at him. Never.

Now, as he watched Lovino joke around with Matthew, Gilbert, and Francis early in the morning, he managed a genuine smile again. It was nice that Lovino was back to normal. He'd missed it.

Lovino was still wearing his angel wings. It was something he'd become used to doing. He'd long since forgotten he had them on until someone came up behind him and traced a hand over the middle of them, making Lovino roll his shoulders back and blink back at the person.  
Vash smiled down at him. "Hello, Lovino."he greeted. "Still wearing these things?"

Lovino blinked before he glanced at the edge of one of the wings before he nodded. "Might as well,"he said.

"Why?"Vash asked.

Lovino raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"he countered.

Vash smiled. "Touche."he responded. "But I have a bone to pick with you, and I'm sure you'd much rather this conversation be private, so if you would...?"

Lovino sighed, but got up anyways.

As soon as they were away from everyone, Vash pulled Lovino to a stop and spoke. "Listen, I need to talk to you about what was said..I just..I need to know that you're okay."he said softly. "I know, you hate that I'm so protective over you, but you _are_ my brother, blood or not. And I know stuff like..well, _that_ really hurts people, scars them for life, physically, mentally and emotionally. So, you're okay right? When's the last time it happened?"

Lovino sighed, his shoulder's sinking. "I'm just fine, Vash. I'm used to it. It's not a big deal, anyways."

"Not a big..Lovi.."Vash said, shaking his head. "This is a big deal. They could have _killed _you. Because people like that? They're sadistic as fuck. And you..you aren't exactly keen on any sort of pain, so I know it had to have been hard on you, following rules to keep Feli and you both safe. Just tell me when the last time was."

Lovino hesitated before he sighed. "The week before Toni and me got together,"he admitted.

Vash's eyes hardened. "Really?"he huffed. "Alright, listen..Toni's come to me with some stuff that you've said when you were upset around him. Like how you don't think you're _worth_ anything. You are. And listen, I know you hate this - "

"Then why are you doing it?"Lovino snapped. "I was finally forgetting, Vash, and you bring it back up to me. I was happy again. Why ruin it?"

"I'm sorry,"

Lovino rolled his eyes. "You're _sorry._"he spat. "You know what that means to me? _Too fucking late._ I'm sick of people saying they're sorry. I'm sick of people not thinking before they say something. And I'm sick of you being so god damn overprotective of me. I can handle myself, in case you haven't noticed yet."

By the end, Lovino was yelling. His eyes had teared up. He hated fighting with anyone. But with someone as close as his brother?

Vash went to say something else, but Lovino shook his head and took a step back. "Just leave me alone,"he said, returning to the group and collapsing beside Antonio, who frowned when the tears started falling.

Vash did as he had been asked and disappeared.

Silent sobs racked Lovino's tiny form, and Antonio pulled him into a gentle hug, murmuring softly to try to calm him down.

The entire group had become a lot more sullen since Lovino had yelled at Vash.

Gilbert scowled softly, but said nothing. He knew he couldn't help.

Around lunch that day, things calmed again. Lovino didn't joke around with the others. In fact, he shut everyone out.

Vash sighed and moved to stand beside Lovino. "Lovi..?"

Lovino glared at him before he huffed.

"You know I was only trying to help you, right?"

Lovino was dead silent for a moment longer before he spoke. "I don't need help, though."he said. "I'm okay..or I was, at least, before you decided to be an ass and bring my fucking past back up."

Vash sighed. "I'm only worried about you, Lovi. It's...I've seen people who've gone through a lot of crap, including things like sexual assault and crap, and it never leaves them unscarred. Is it so bad that I want to make sure you're okay?"  
Ludwig's eyes went to Lovino before he let it be. He'd heard from Gilbert. Alfred and Matthew, however, looked at the Italian with wide eyes. They knew exactly what Vash was implying now.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Just go away, Vash. I really don't want to talk about this right now."

Vash nodded once. "By the way, your boss called. Day off today and tomorrow."

"Grazie."

After that, Vash did leave to go back to his seat with Roderich.

Feliciano frowned, looking at his brother. "Fratello..?"

Lovino looked up, meeting Feliciano's eyes.

Feliciano didn't say anything, he could see the story in his brother's eyes perfectly. His frown deepened. "Why?"

"To keep you safe."Lovino responded. "I'd do it all over again, too. As long as it kept you safe, I'd do anything."

_Even if it got me killed,_ Lovino added silently.

Feliciano sighed, nodding and letting it go. He knew he didn't want to press on more.

Nobody mentioned what Vash had unmeaningly let them know. At least now they knew why Lovino was like he was.

That evening, things had calmed down to where Lovino was acting more like himself again as the group walked to the Vargas home.

_It's been such a long day. And that is definitely never a good thing._

**Here you go. **


	63. Chapter 63

**AN: New chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Vash is only trying to look out for Lovino. He's just very overprotective of Lovi and Feli. He's worried. And Lovi..well, he did kinda blow up, but considering what he'd gone through? Perfectly justified on his part. **

**Penguin Braginski: Definitely quite dynamic. And quite insane. All of us. Including me. We're all screwed up in the head in some way, and I am actually the only masochistic type..surrounded by a bunch of sadists. Fun..we trade stories a lot, get each other's input. And I do feel bad for both Vash and Lovi..but they've always been that way with one another. Feli..he knows a lot more than he lets on. He does it so that his brother doesn't feel like he wasted his effort and everything trying to keep him in the dark, still innocent. **

**Evelynyamine: I will most definitely do that! I'll try to include that in one of the chapters after things settle back down! I love reading those, and writing them..hm, new challenge. Thanks. **

**Spamano4ever: Lovi's okay, I promise!**

**Enjoy. **

It took a while after that for things to settle back down to normal again.

But..Lovino was glad when they did calm back down again. He hated when things got thrown out or proportion like they had been recently. He just wanted things to go back to how they had been when he'd first gotten together with Antonio. It had been so much more simple.

Matthew and Alfred were still treating him like porcelain, and it was driving him slowly insane.

Currently, the group was sitting on the floor like they always did of the mornings. Alfred was saying something, trying to shift what he was saying so that it wouldn't trigger any of Lovino's memories.

Lovino listened to this for a good minute longer before he snapped. "For god's sake, stop doing that!"he said, voice snippish. "If you want to say something, just fucking say it."  
Alfred blinked at him uncomfortably.

Matthew spoke. "Lovi...listen..I know you hate when people think you're weak and stuff, but...I've seen you after one of those nightmares or sudden memories. It's not good."

Lovino took a calming breath before he spoke again. "I know it's not. But you guys are not helping by trying to avoid saying something just so it doesn't trigger a memory. It's making it _worse_, so just stop it."he said. "It happened, okay? It's in the past, I'm over it. If I wasn't, nobody would get in my personal space without getting hit, not even Feli and Toni. So stop."

Matthew nodded once and Alfred continued, no longer coding his words.  
Lovino relaxed a bit then.

"He's only trying to make you feel like you can trust him,"Antonio told Lovino as they were walking to the Italian's first hour.

"I know he is..but..I would get past all of this so much faster if you guys just behaved normally around me. All of you."Lovino said. "Am I sorry I snapped like I did? Yeah. Am I sorry that it made Alfred start acting normally around me again? Fuck no."

Antonio stopped outside of Lovino's first block class. "Well..just remember, if you don't feel up to staying, let me know and I'll take ya home."he said softly.

Lovino smiled faintly. "I will. I love you."he said.

Antonio grinned. "I love you, too."he responded, kissing Lovino's cheek before he headed to his own class.

Oh, this so was not going as planned, Lovino thought as he winced. When he said he wanted things back to normal, he meant with his friends. Right now, with his spine pressed back against the edge of a bookshelf? No, not so much. He couldn't go any further back, and he couldn't go any other way, either. He was trapped. Never a good thing.

He closed his eyes tightly, waiting on the blow. He wasn't going to fight. He didn't want to get into trouble for it.

But then someone called out. "Hey, leave him alone!"  
Lovino had never been so happy to hear that voice. As soon as his shoulders were released, he sunk down to the floor, letting a shaky breath out.

The jock that had been standing in front of him had disappeared. Now, it was...another of the old mafia inductees. The same one who'd asked him about helping him get out.

He kneeled down in front of Lovino, eyes concerned. "You okay, there, Romano?"

"It's not Romano. That's my middle name."Lovino responded.

The male smiled faintly. "Alright. How about introductions then?"

Lovino nodded. It was odd. He was so used to seeing the other shaking. The only time he'd seen him was when they had been summoned, and he knew that he, himself, had been shaking the entire time, as well. "Hi, I'm Lovino."he said, offering a hand.

Another faint smile. "I'm Raivis."

The handshake was short, but it was better than the terrified introductions that had happened all those years ago, both of them going by different names than the ones they used now.

"Nice to meet you,"Lovino said. He glanced at his watch before he cursed. "Shit. Toni's probably freaking out."he grumbled.

Raivis got up, moving away and helping the Italian to his feet. Or attempting to. Lovino shrugged it off.

The two walked to the cafeteria together. Lovino knew that Raivis had to be new to the school, as he had never gone to a public school before from what he knew of the slighter male. So he pointed things out on the way.

As soon as Feliciano caught sight of his brother and Raivis, he spoke. "Toni, Lovi's here."

Antonio looked back with a faint smile, which faltered slightly at the sight of Raivis. He remembered him all too well.

Lovino let the male over and spoke softly. "Hey, guys. This is Raivis. He was one of the other inductees a few years back..he just recently got out as well."

Lovino continued on with introductions, and by the end, Antonio felt a bit better about the newcomer.

As soon as Lovino had a seat, Antonio pulled him into a tight hug. "Don't do that, I was scared something had happened to you!"he said, nuzzling Lovino's cheek lightly as he pulled back.

Raivis spoke softly. "Actually...someone _was_ tormenting him in the library. I found him when I was trying to find someone to ask for directions here."he said softly.

Antonio looked at Raivis before he offered a kind smile. "Thank you,"he said softly before he pushed his tray to sit between Lovino and Raivis. "I got extras, since I knew that they close up the lines pretty early."

Lovino shook his head, pushing the tray over to Raivis before he nestled against Antonio's side. "I have some snacks in my bookbag. I can skip lunch for once."

Antonio laughed lightly.

Raivis was hesitant, but he finally settled down into the 'normalcy' of the group as he picked at the food in front of him.

Lovino watched him curiously before he spoke. "How much did those guys feed you?"he asked, curious, since he knew Raivis was one of the ones who was there constantly.

"Not much. Enough for me to still be healthy just in case..."Raivis answered. "You know how those guys are.."

Lovino scowled and nodded. "Then eat."he said. "And how about you tell me where you plan to go?"

Raivis sighed. "I'll probably go stay with one of my old friends. He said if I needed a place to stay after I got out..I could come stay with him..."he said quietly.

Lovino nodded. "Kind, right?"he asked.

"Beyond kind."Raivis countered.

The topic changed after that, thanks to Ludwig being good at picking up on the group's air by now.

Turns out, that 'friend' of Raivis's, Lovino knew. He had his last block with him.

By the end of the school day, he understood much better.

Still, he was also exhausted.

As such, when they entered the house and had eaten dinner for the evening, he collapsed with his head resting in Antonio's lap and fell asleep.

Nobody bothered him.

**Here you go. By the way, this is very important. Tomorrow is the Day of Silence. As such, I probably won't post anything tomorrow to emulate that silence here. So..I'll make that up this weekend if I do that. Also, the plan for tomorrow that my school's drama club is doing? A skit. I get to keep my silence, though, I've cleared it with the director and everything! It's perfect! It's a set up bullying scene, but nobody outside of Drama and the outsiders involved will know that's what's happening! It's going to be great!**


	64. Chapter 64

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: So do I! And just..he just...he seems like the kind who would be kinda pulled into something like the mafia..kinda like Lovino was, in an odd way. **

**ThatRandomReview: Nah, it's fine. The Day of Silence..hm..how to explain... In short hand, it's where people take a day-long vow of silence to draw attention to anti-LGBT bullying. If you want details, then go to www. dayofsilence ...just without the spaces. **

**Enjoy!**

Raivis shifted to fit seamlessly into the group.

The next few days calmed down drastically. It was somewhere towards the middle of the month when Antonio came in late. Lovino was talking with Feliciano about something in quick Italian. Gilbert caught sight of Antonio and went to say something, but Antonio held a finger to his lips. Gilbert smiled and went back to his own conversation with Matthew.

"Voglio dire..non è che sia un grosso problema, giusto? Abbiamo a che fare con cose del genere tutti i..."Lovino trailed off in surprise when a necklace was placed around his neck. He touched the charm before he looked back to see Antonio there. He could tell by the texture that the charm was handmade, something he wasn't aware Antonio was capable of.

Antonio smiled at Lovino, sitting down beside him so he didn't have to crane his neck.

"Feliz cinco meses."

Lovino smiled softly, murmuring the statement back in Antonio's natural language before he stole a kiss from the Spaniard. "But what's with the necklace?"

"I wanted to give it to you at Christmas..but you wouldn't let anyone give you a gift of any kind.. Berwald helped me make it."Antonio responded.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "I love you, but you're a goofball."

Antonio gave a crooked grin. "Aw, you love me for it,"

"'Course I do."Lovino mumbled before finishing his conversation with Feliciano.

Raivas hid his smile, but Lovino caught sight of it anyways. As did Antonio.

Nobody called him out on it.

Once the conversation had ended, Antonio wrapped his arms tightly around Lovino, letting the Italian relax back against him. It was the first day in a while that Lovino was without his wings.

The Italian gave a soft smile. It was nice, being able to be back to normal like this. Well...almost normal. Things had definitely changed.

Raivis spoke up then. "You two are really cute together,"he commented softly. "It's nice to see such a functional relationship..more than one."he added, looking over to Feliciano and Ludwig, and Gilbert and Matthew.

The others kinda stayed back, just watching, so Raivis didn't pull them into it.

Lovino looked over at Raivis. "Yeah, I know. It's always nice to see functional relationships."he said softly.

Nobody commented on the tone in the Italian's voice. Vash showed up then, grinning. "Lovi, Feli!"he greeted. "I have good news!"

Feliciano shot up from where he was cuddled against Ludwig to give his 'older brother' a hug. "Vash!"

Lovino laughed softly, looking back at the Swiss. "What is it?"  
Vash didn't respond until he got himself out of Feliciano's embrace and then he dug something out of his bookbag. He passed the paper to Lovino, who frowned at it in confusion. "This is..."

Feliciano rolled his eyes. "Let me see!"

Lovino held up a finger, skimming through what was written before he smiled. He handed Feliciano the paper and looked to Vash. "You didn't have to do that."he said.

Vash looked at Lovino. "Yes, I did."he countered.

Feliciano read through the paper carefully before he grinned and promptly gave Vash another hug.

"Whoa, what's going on?"Gilbert asked curiously.

Lovino smiled faintly. "Vash, seeing as he is legally of age, actually went and basically adopted Feli and me as his little brothers."he said softly.

Gilbert smiled softly. "That's awfully sweet,"he said, looking at Vash, who shrugged.

"Sie sind mein kleiner Brüder."Vash responded. "Ich liebe ihnen."

Gilbert nodded in understanding. "I know."

Things settled after that. Lovino smiled faintly. He loved when things were simple.

**Here is the last one before the Day of Silence. As such...to those who are participating...Happy Day of Silence!**

**By the way, translations..I can't remember the Italian...just used Google translate, so you could try that. **

**The german: **

**Sie sind mein kleiner Brüder. = They are my little brothers. **

**Ich liebe ihnen. = I love them. **

**Also, if you guys have any preferances or ideas as to who Raivis, Emil, and Francis should be paired with...let me know. Cause I'm lost with those...**

**Grazie ahead of time!**


	65. Chapter 65

**AN: **

**Happy Day of Silence everyone. **

**Before I get started on the chapter, I'd like to post a little spiel. First off, the skit and everything at school? It went great. People who didn't partake in it created their own signs and took a vow of silence. Half the school! Even administrators and teachers were in on it! I loved it. But...the others that didn't? They decided to make our lives a living fucking hell. I'd love to ask for you guys to keep this in mind, give me some advice as to how to approach people about this. One of my dear friends had the fact that he's gotten bullied for being gay on his sign. And at lunch, some girls sitting at the table beside my group's table stopped him as he was taking his tray (I was returning from taking my own) and started harassing him about his sign and trying to get him to break his silence. He didn't. I didn't hear what all was said, but I know it was bad from the look on his face. Then another of my friends - my group's Germany - got things thrown at her at lunch because of her silence and her sign. Then a bunch of others got shoved around for it. Including me. I couldn't care less about me. It's the others. I don't know what to do about it. I want to help. I'm talking to the principal on Monday about starting a GSA. He's finally come around!**

**Anyways...one of the best Day of Silences ever. In my opinion. It could've been worse. It was last year. I had a teacher stand up for me in class because people were trying to make me talk. So..people are getting involved and making a change. A whole lot of people signed a no-bullying pledge today at school. Almost our entire cosplay group took the vow. America, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, China, Ireland and me..we all took the vow of silence. Grandpa Rome didn't..in fact, he harassed me for taking the vow. Bloody bastard. Aidrian (Sweden) decided to take up for me, though, since he's quicker with writing on whiteboards. And then a teacher intervened. God, I love our Sweden. He's such a sweetheart. Also..I got the courage to finally come out to all my friends as bi today. Thanks to Canada.**

**Anywho..here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Definitely look into it. It's really awesome. Yeah, Vash does have official brothers now. **

**Spamano4ever: Vash is awesome!**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino loved calm all sat outside at the quad for lunch that day.

Raivis had disappeared, appearing back not long after and handing Lovino a guitar. "I caught word that you could play. Will you?"

Lovino sat up from where he had been leaned back against Antonio, taking the guitar from Raivis. "Name a song,"he said.

Raivis shrugged, so Lovino rolled his eyes. He looked down at the chords for a moment before he started playing.

"_Do you dream that the world will know your name? So tell me your name. Do you care about all the little things or anything at all?"_

Raivis rolled his eyes. He knew the song. It was one of the ones he had sung around Lovino before when they were both left alone for a good period of time when they were both newbies in the mafia a few years back.

"_Don't tell me if I'm dying cause I don't wanna know. If I can't see te sun, maybe I should go. Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming of angels on the moon. Where everyone you know never leaves too soon. Do you believe in the day that you were born, tell me do you believe? Do you know, that everyday's the first of the rest of your life."_

Vash and Roderich joined them then and smiled faintly. It was a nice song, Vash thought.

"_This is to one last day in the shadows and to know a brother's love. This is to New York City angels and the rivers of our blood. This is to all of us, to all of us.."_

Lovino looked up at the others. He got a deeper meaning across with that than with his tone.

"_You can tell me all your thoughts about the stars that fill polluted skies and show me where you run to when no one's left to take your side But don't tell me where the road ends, cause I don't wanna know. No I don't wanna know. Don't tell me if I'm dying, don't tell me if I'm dying."_

Lovino finished and set the guitar aside, giving Raivis a faint smile. "You remember that?"he asked softly.

Raivis sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I don't like remembering it, but I remember it."he said. "And..by the way..I never got to tell you..I'm sorry for getting you in trouble back then..I didn't mean to."

Lovino laughed. "Man..it was either you get me in trouble or I would've gotten myself in trouble. I don't mind. I stepped up like I did because otherwise they would have _killed _you, trying to discipline you. You're way too tiny and fragile to deal with that."

Antonio frowned. "I get the feeling I'm going to regret this, but what happened?"

Raivis spoke up. "I said some snide remark to one of the new inductees and someone overheard it said. They turned and asked who it was. I went to admit to it, but Lovino jumped in. He took the blame for himself."he said. "They beat him. In front of all of us. It scared me, seeing that, and I wanted to tell them to stop, but the look that Lovi game me...I couldn't do it."

Gilbert's eyes went between the two. "They beat you guys there?"he asked.

Lovino nodded. "Very normally. It was their go to measure of discipline. They didn't want us acting out and costing them. So..they beat it into us. Or tried to."

Raivis looked over at Lovino. "Do you still...?"he trailed, shooting a look at Vash as if he were scared to finish the sentence.

"The indention? Still there."Lovino responded. "And don't worry so much. Nobody in this group is going to hurt you,"

Francis smiled and spoke. "Unless you ask us to, that is."

Lovino went bright red, throwing some of his food at the frenchman. "Perv!"he said. "What the fuck is wrong with you!"

Gilbert dissolved into laughter. "Oh, gott..."he said.

Raivis looked lost. "Um..what..?"

Lovino shook his head. "You don't wanna know,"he mumbled.

Matthew, however, was frowning at Lovino. "Indention..?"

Gilbert and Francis sobered up then.

Lovino pulled himself out of Antonio's arms. He pulled his shirt tightly against his torso, letting the others see the clear indention in his side. As soon as he had, he let his shirt go and let it fall back into place. He settled back against Antonio again, letting the Spaniard wrap his arms tightly around him again.

The group was quiet for a moment before Feliciano spoke up. "Fratello...why are you so hesitant to talk to us about things?"

Lovino didn't respond to that. Raivis was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Lovino, why don't you tell them what happened to cause that."

The Italian was silent for a moment before he sighed. "I was a fucking smart ass,"he said quietly.

Nobody spoke, scared that if they interupted, that Lovino would stop talking with them about it.

"I got the stupid indention when I was fourteen. Some stupid sadistic bastard decided he wanted to try to _break_ me. Do the impossible. Well..at least, I thought so."Lovino said, huffing slightly. "You know those old, old vices that most people don't even think of anymore?"

Francis winced. He knew exactly what had happened now.

Lovino half smiled. "I need to learn how to pick when I should fight. That wasn't a good time to fight against anything, and I did. It hurt like hell."

"He was still bleeding and everything about a week and a half later,"Raivis added in. "I remember asking if he was okay once when I saw him limping coming in. If there's anything he's good at, it's hiding pain and not letting others know if he's hurt."

"Yeah. He's amazing at that."

Antonio buried his face against Lovino's neck. He couldn't continue hearing about this. He breathed in the Italian's scent, reassuring himself that he was still there, still okay, still alive.

Nobody commented on it for the longest before Feliciano spoke again. "I have a question."he said softly.

Lovino looked over at his brother.

"How often did the two of you get in trouble."

Lovino scowled and Raivis shivered slightly. "Plenty,"the Latvian answered. "We tried not to, because if we did, we paid dearly for it."

_Well, there goes a calm day,_ Lovino thought when he saw the look on Vash's face. Even Vash didn't know any of this.

This wasn't going to end well.

**Here you go. Hope you enjoyed.**

**If you have any suggestions on who to pair Raivis, Francis and Emil with..let me know.**


	66. Chapter 66

**AN: Hey. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Emil and Raivis..hm..that is a cute pairing. And yes, I did have to look into it. I'm glad it went well too. Lovi's gonna be okay. **

**GothicKitty1313: It is. And Rome..well, he has issues, but it's because of his own past with bullying. He believes in survival of the fittest. He shut up after he figured out my entire reason. I wore a sign today that said, in bold, I don't trust others because of bullying. I got questions about it, as well as a few cruel jokes. I clarified it when Rome and one of his friends asked about it. I shortened it to fit the topic. But..bullying, abuse, harassment, fully. Because I've gone through all. He backed off, thankfully, after he realized that I had been abused before. He actually gave me a hug..which scared the hell out of me because he normally respects my personal space.. And thanks for that.**

**ThatRandomReview: It did! And I am sorry for confusing you!**

** .142: Seychelles...hm..I've never even seen her(?) in the show. I need to do my research. Human name? I'll try to see if I can manage to write her. There are some characters that I just can't characterize at all.**

**SilenceOfCrimsonSnow: Now there's a bit of historicly accuracy. And I've seen and read some Iceland/Turkey before. I might just do that. It depends on what I can manage. And Latvia/Estonia..that is actually one of my OTPs for this fandom. I've tried writing it before, though, and I couldn't get too far with it. It's worth another try, though. Thanks for the pairing suggestions. I'm glad you did the Day of Silence as well! And hey, don't be sorry about it. I got to messaging my group's Canada on facebook about it and..well, we decided..you know, our principal has been really accepting of the LGBT people with the signs yesterday (We had three out themselves with their signs, other confirm they are gay or bi) We decided to talk to him about getting a GSA started up there. It's worth all that pain. We need a safe place and I'd go through anything to get it. **

**Enjoy.**

Nobody said anything about lunch, thankfully. Antonio was rather quiet as he walked Lovino home. The others were going out on the town for a while, but Lovino didn't want to go, and Antonio didn't want him to stay alone.

"Listen, Antonio..."Lovino said. "I'm sorry..I just...now you know why I was so hesitant to have Feli or you help me with the guaze and the brace a while back."

Antonio kissed Lovino's cheek. "Baby, I don't care. I love you. I'm pissed that those jerks hurt you, sure, but I love you."

Lovino met Antonio's eyes after a long moment. He gave a faint smile. "I love you too."he said softly.

They were relatively quiet until they got to Lovino's home. As soon as they were in the grass, Antonio grinned and picked Lovino up, spinning him, making the Italian yelp. "What the hell, Toni!"he snapped, squirming slightly in his boyfriend's arms. "Put me down!"

Antonio smiled softly, setting Lovino down again.

Lovino looked at Antonio for a moment. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"he asked, huffing.

Antonio gave him a faint smile. "..you seemed like you needed cheering up.."he said. "I didn't mean to startle you. I wanted to see you actually smile. It's been months since I saw you smile fully when you weren't planning something."

Lovino took a step back from Antonio then, surprise showing in his eyes. '_He's noticed that? I guess he really _does_ care.' _he thought. "What have I had to smile about in the past few months?"he asked.

"You're alive,"Antonio said. "And relatively uninjured. Feli's safe, Vash has basically adopted Feli and you..you have plenty to be happy about.."

Lovino nodded. He knew that. But still..with how things had been going? What did all that really matter? It could all end in a second.

Antonio sighed, pulling Lovino to him. "Just one smile. That's all I want to see."he whispered. "Because you never smile anymore. And I miss it."

Lovino looked down. "..why do you care so much..?"he asked quietly.

Antonio's eyes widened. "Why wouldn't I?"he countered. "You're amazing..and I know you won't agree with me, but to me you're amazing and perfect. I care so much because I love you..and I don't want to lose you."

Lovino looked up and met Antonio's eyes. After a moment he leaned up and kissed the Spaniard once. When he pulled back, he knew he'd gotten his point across.

Silence fell between the two until rain started falling. While lunch had been nice and sunny, the clouds had started rolling in sometime during the last school block. Lovino gasped in surprise when he felt rain hit him, but Antonio smiled softly, looking up at the sky.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "C'mon, you idiot! You'll get sick if you stand out here in the rain."he said, pulling at one of Antonio's hands.

Antonio looked at Lovino for a moment before he shook his head and wrapped his arms firmly around Lovino. "Please? Just five minutes?"

Lovino huffed. "Fine."he grumbled.

That five minutes turned into much longer. The two had decided, as long as they were outside, they may as well enjoy it. Still, when Antonio caught Lovino's waist at one point and made them both slip, it got a bout of laughter from the Italian. Antonio smiled softly.

Lovino met Antonio's eyes and smiled brightly at him.

Antonio hesitated for a moment before he pulled Lovino into a soft kiss. Lovino pulled back, chuckling softly at how cliched it was. But still..it was sweet.

It was only when Lovino started shivering from the cold air not long after that that Antonio stopped. "Lovi, c'mon, let's get inside."he said softly.

Lovino nodded and walked with ths Spaniard to the front door, pausing too unlock it and grab their bookbags from their spot on the front porch.

As soon as he stepped inside, he pulled his shoes off and set them aside, not wanting to clean mud off the floors of the entire house. Antonio did the same thing and watched Lovino disappear.

Lovino reappeared with two towels a moment later, pausing to cut the heat on. He threw Antonio one of the towels in silence. "You can come further than the foyer, you know."

Antonio smiled softly and nodded, taking a step into the living room. He liked how the house was set up. It reflected Feliciano and Lovino perfectly.

Lovino disappeared again for a bit, coming back with two changes of clothes. He handed Antonio one set and nodded down the hall. "Go get changed before you get sick."he said softly.

Antonio half smiled and did as he was asked.

While he was gone, Lovino started on supper in silence.

When Antonio came back, Lovino grabbed his set of clothes off the back of the couch and disappeared to get changed as well.

Not long after, things settled down a good bit. It was calm, just like most other times when Antonio and Lovino were left to their own devices. Lovino had disappeared into the kitchen to finish dinner, but he called out to Antonio, who was seated in the living room, examining some of the inside architecture in further detail.

"Toni, you can find something to watch on television, if you want."  
Antonio smiled faintly.

Nobody said anything else until Lovino came and got Antonio when the food was done.

During the middle of dinner, Antonio spoke. "You know..this evening was really nice."he said softly.

Lovino smiled softly. "I'm glad you think so."he responded.

The two ended up talking, sharing stories that the others had told them recently.

"And then Matthew told me that Arthur and Alfred are finally past their huge language barrier. I mean..I'm not the biggest fan of Alfred, but I'm glad him and Arthur are happy together. God knows that Arthur can be a bit demeaning if he's mad about something, so you have to have patience. But still, most people at that school? They'd shove either of them off."Lovino said.  
Antonio frowned. "That's not right."he said. "Those two are very kind. While Alfred can get obnoxious at times, he's a sweetheart, just like his brother. And I've never seen Arthur be anything less than a gentleman."

Lovino shrugged. "It's complicated, man."he said. "People don't like different, and our entire group is different. Why do you think we all catch hell of some sort at that school. You're the only one that hasn't ever been targetted, and that's because people are scared to. Which I don't get. You're very kind."

Antonio half smiled. "That's my fault. I stood up for you a while back, one day when you left early due to people messing with you, and I guess I kind of startled them."

Lovino smiled softly, kissing Antonio's temple before he smiled. "So...Gil's told me that him and Matt are doing pretty good."he offered, trying to stray away from the topic of the others at school."

Antonio grinned. "Good. Those two are very sweet together."

"Yeah.. I've never seen Matt so open with anyone who wasn't Alfred before. And then Gil..he never acts bashful unless he's with Matthew. It's adorable."Lovino said softly.

Antonio nodded.

The day had been pretty good, in the end.

**Here's the new chapter. Now..I have to go get ready for a cosplay. Wish me luck!**


	67. Chapter 67

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**By the way...I have had two pairing ideas offered for Raivis, Emil, and Francis each. Anyone feel up to breaking a tie? **

**The offered up pairing ideas are - **

**For Raivis - Latvia/Iceland and Latvia/Estonia.**

**For Emil - Latvia/Iceland and Iceland/Turkey**

**For Francis - France/Seychelles and France/Joan D'Arc**

**As for France's...I have never wrote or read either of them. Anyone wanna fill me in? Or offer another, more well known one?**

**Anywho...I love the pairing ideas, guys! But, I can't write any until I know which is more prefered! **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Yes, finally a calm chapter. Fluffy, sure, calm, definitely. Enough to make my cousin look at me and ask if I was sick? Yes. Unfortunately, he acts as my beta right now and knows I don't usually write cute unless I'm sick. Which I'm not. **

**Evelynyanime: Thanks!**

**ThatRandomReview: Thanks, and still, I am sorry!**

**Also, on a side note, my group's Sweden (Aidrian) asked me an interesting question today. Our America and me have this kind of tradition going on at school, since we share two classes (German and Art). We have a habit of switcing into unplanned cosplay, just for the hell of it. He saw this yesterday, and couldn't really ask about it since all three of us had taken the vow of silence and his hands were full so he couldn't write on his board. We do play on the stereotypes a lot, and America has teased me before for opening the door for her going into the school, since we're outside for German a lot (Trailers at school). Sweden asked why she teases me about being a gentleman. He only heard the comment thrown at me by a close friend who wasn't taking the vow and got curious, so he didn't know. Needless to say, he laughed his ass off at me for it. Jerk. He's sweet, but he's a jerk. **

**Anywho... **

**Enjoy. **

Antonio and Lovino were fast asleep on the couch with a movie playing when the others got back. Feliciano smiled softly, throwing a blanket over the two. Lovino blinked his eyes open slightly at this and mumbled something incoherant before he curled further against Antonio's side and went back to sleep.

Quiet conversation filled the room for about an hour until Antonio woke up and rubbed at his eyes. He blinked at the others. "Hola."he mumbled quietly.

"Ciao, Toni."Feliciano greeted, smiling. "Calm evening, I take it?"

Antonio smiled softly, glancing down at Lovino, who was still sound asleep against him. "We ended up playing in the rain for a while before dinner,"he said softly. "It was nice to see him smiling and laughing again."

Feliciano blinked in surprise. "You had him playing in the rain?"he asked in surprise.

Antonio nodded. "Yeah.."he said softly. "He was kinda hesitant to at first, but..."

Feliciano nodded that he understood and smiled faintly again. "Well..I'm glad things are going back to normal again, at least."

Nobody else said much of anything about the day. In fact, by the time that the conversation ended, they were all ready for bed.

The following morning, Lovino woke up with a headache. He huffed and rubbed at his head. He knew it was probably from managing to hit his head against one of the cabinets sometime the evening before, so he didn't bother with it as he got up and started getting ready for school.

All throughout the morning, Lovino felt like hell. He collapsed against Antonio's side first thing after he sat down at lunch, letting his eyes close.

Antonio frowned. "You okay, Lovi?"he asked softly, pushing the Italian's bangs from his face.

Lovino nodded, but didn't say anything.

Raivis frowned as he joined the group then. He examined Lovino for a moment before he raised an eyebrow. "I think someone's getting sick.."he said softly.

Lovino shook his head in denial at that before laying his head against Antonio's shoulder lightly.

Vash frowned at his little brother, but said nothing. He knew both of the Vargas boys well enough to tell when they were sick. And he knew that Lovino was, but didn't want anyone to know because they'd try to pamper him.

"I just wanna go home soon.."Lovino mumbled.

Vash spoke up. "I can drive you home, you know."he said softly. "Want to go home?"

Lovino nodded once and Vash got up, grabbing his bag and then Lovino's bag. "Alright, c'mon, Lovino."he said softly.

Lovino got up in silence, pausing to kiss Antonio's cheek before he followed Vash. The elder paused to sign both of them out of school before leading Lovino to his car in silence.

The rest of the day, Lovino was piled up in his bed. He drifted in and out of sleep, but when he did sleep, it was restless. Vash didn't wander off too far from Lovino's room, because he knew that the Italian really wasn't feeling well if he couldn't even sleep.

After school ended, the entire group came to the Vargas home again. Antonio and Feliciano both showed up at the door.

"Is he feeling okay?"Feliciano asked, concern for his brother shining in his tone.

Vash sighed. "I doubt it."he answered. "But I can't answer for sure. I'm not him."

Lovino groaned. "What the fuck are you on about this time?"he grumbled, burying himself further under the covers.

Antonio moved forward, sitting on the edge of the bed beside Lovino and feeling of his forehead. Just a little warm. It wasn't too bad.

Lovino looked at him for a moment before he huffed and settled back down, drifting back off into a restless sleep.

It wasn't often that Lovino got sick, but when he did, he always felt like hell.

Feliciano frowned deeply. "He's getting sick, isn't he?"he asked.

Vash nodded. "His fever's come down a little bit now..but it was pretty bad when we got here. He'll be alright, Feli."

Feliciano nodded. "I'll go make him some soup.."

With that, the younger of the brothers disappeared from the room again.

Antonio sighed. "I feel like this is my fault. I had him out playing in the rain yesterday..."

"It's not your fault. If he really didn't want to, he wouldn't've done it. Besides, stuff like that? Doesn't really have much of an effect on him. I don't know. It is cold season, after all."Vash said softly. "It happens every year. Just let him get some rest,"

The following morning, Vash woke Lovino up and sat down on the edge of the bed, much like Antonio had done the previous day. "Lovi, do you feel up to going to school today?"he asked quietly.

Lovino went to sit up, but stopped when his head started pounding again. He finally shook his head slightly. He knew that he was getting sick. He didn't need to push his luck.

Vash nodded and let the Italian settle back down before tucking the covers around him again. "I'll be here to check up on you at lunch, okay?"he said softly. "Get some rest, and there's some soup in the kitchen if you get hungry."

Lovino nodded that he understood.

Vash gave him a soft smile. "And Antonio has asked me to tell you that he loves you. Feli wouldn't allow him back to see you this morning,"

Lovino managed a soft smile as well and smiled. "Tell him I love him too."

Vash nodded in understanding and got up, kissing Lovino's forehead. "Get some rest, brother."

With that Vash left again and let Lovino get back to sleep.

Raivis looked over at the group when they entered. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Lovino's absense. "So Lovi was getting sick, huh?"  
Vash nodded. "He'll be back soon."he said softly.

Raivis nodded that he understood.

The day was pretty quiet without Lovino around, since he was the one who usually got some of the more interesting conversations going with some sort of offhand comment.

That evening, Antonio let Vash sit around and relax and he took care of Lovino.

_Once he gets better,_ Antonio thought, _things will be perfect again. I'll make sure of it._

**Here ya go. Hope you enjoyed! Remember, let me know with any pairings you wish to see!**


	68. Chapter 68

**AN: Another chapter. **

**I had planned to go to bed after the last one, but I told my group's Canada I'd stay up so he had someone to talk to because he has to stay up for another couple of hours. So...yeah, I'm writing. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: Yes, it is just a small cold. He'll be okay. And yeah..Feli..he's like Vash, he's overprotective of his brother. He just doesn't want to run the risk of Toni and Lovi arguing while Lovi's sick.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino woke the following morning to the feel of a cool, damp cloth dabbing at his forehead. He let out a discontent noise, backing up. "Wha'?"he asked tiredly.

A soft chuckle sounded. Antonio.

"I'm just trying to kill your fever a bit,"

Lovino nodded, but flinched back when the cloth touched his skin again. "'S cold."he grumbled.

Antonio smiled faintly. "Okay.."he said softly, setting the rag back in the bowl beside the bed and pulling the covers up further around his boyfriend. "Get some sleep, baby."

Lovino half smiled and nodded. "Love you,"he mumbled.

"I love you too,"Antonio said softly, kissing Lovino's temple before he got up and headed to the door. He glanced back to see Lovino already drifting back to sleep. He half smiled. "Get better soon,"he added quietly before he turned the overhead light off and left the room.

When Antonio entered the school and took a seat with the others, Vash gave him a look. "He feeling any better this morning?"he asked.

Antonio gave a faint smile. "Still feverish, but he said he was cold, so I let him go back to sleep."he said softly.

Feliciano butted in. "He'll be okay. He gets cold flashes a lot when he's sick, as well as when he's recovering. Nonno always said it had something to do with how warm he usually is."he said softly. "He just needs a lot of rest,"

Antonio nodded.

The day was quiet once again.

Lovino was sitting in the kitchen when the others got home, poking at some soup. He looked like he was falling asleep where he sat.

Antonio laughed quietly at the sight. "Alright, Lovi, let's get you back to bed."he said softly.

"Nuh-uh."Lovino said. "No. I've been in bed for the past two and a half days, wanna be up."

Antonio sighed. "You're sick. You need rest to get better,"

Lovino pouted, but gave in. He held his arms out to Antonio, who gave a slight smile.

"You want me to carry you?"

Lovino looked at him with wide eyes. "Please?"he asked quietly.

Antonio smiled softly and moved forward, carefully picking the Italian up bridal-style and carrying him back to bed and tucking him in.

Lovino was fast asleep again before he was back in bed, showing Antonio just how tired he really was.

The Spaniard smiled faintly and headed back to the others. "He's back to sleep now,"he said softly.

The evening passed quietly. Sooner or later, Lovino got back up again, eating a bit of soup before he laid down beside Antonio, resting his head in his lap lightly and going back to sleep.

Antono smiled faintly, running his fingers through his hair lightly.

_S&S_-

The next few days passed with little improvement. Lovino just wasn't getting much better. Feliciano started worrying, and Antonio seemed a bit lost on how to help Lovino when he couldn't keep any food down.

Vash frowned deeply after Lovino had gone back to sleep after his last bout of sicking up. "This isn't normal for him. He gets sick every year around this time, but..."

Feliciano shook his head. "Can we take him to the doctor today?"he asked Vash.

The Swiss checked his watch and nodded, getting up and heading out to make the calls in silence. He knew the routine.

When Lovino woke up next, he found himself being taken to the doctor's office again.

After Lovino, Feliciano and Vash came back, Lovino curled back up beside Antonio and went back to sleep.

Vash sighed. "They said to make sure he gets some rest, and to keep him hydrated, bring him back if he hasn't improved any in the next couple of days."he said. "But still..."

Antonio looked down at his sleeping boyfriend. He frowned. "I know a few herbal remedies. Could I try one of those? It should calm his stomach at least, so he's not puking his guts out every hour."

Vash nodded. "When he wakes up next, go ahead,"

Silence fell over the group then. It was so odd for one of them to be sick, and it was even odder to see Lovino so weak.

Sometime about an hour and a half later, Lovino's breathing caught in his throat and he woke up coughing.  
Antonio rubbed his back soothingly and sighed.

Lovino sighed as soon as his breathing went back to normal after the coughing fit and he pouted. "I hate being sick,"he grumbled.

Vash rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's get you to bed."he said, getting up and helping the elder Italian up.

Lovino didn't fight against it, just let himself be led back to bed again.

_Man, I hope he gets to feeling better soon. It sucks, seeing him like this._ Antonio thought with a slight frown.

**Here. **


	69. Chapter 69

**AN: Alright. Here. **

**By the way..never again staying up with Canada until three in the morning so that he has someone to talk to when he's home alone. Damn, I was tired this morning. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Lovi'll be okay. He's not puking blood, so he'll be okay. Besides, he has Feli, Toni, and Vash looking after him. He'll be fine. I promise.**

**ThatRandomReview: Have you had a cold recently? It happens. And Lovi doesn't get sick often, meaning his immune system has moments where it's weak in order to keep him balanced health wise. And yes, Antonio is very...he worries a lot over his little Italian angel. Therefore, he will make things sound worse than they are.**

**Enjoy.**

The next couple of days were a bit better than had been expected. Lovino got to feeling a bit better, but he was still hardly able to keep anything down. The second day after the doctor's appointment, Vash got a bit worried because Lovino absolutely refused to wake up for longer than two seconds unless he was made to.

Antonio was flipping out, trying to figure out how to help. Eventually, Feliciano decided to drag the Spaniard to the store to pick up some herbs. He still remembered what their nonno used to do for Lovino and him both when they got sick.

Not an hour later, the two came back and Feliciano got to work. He spoke to Antonio. "Could you get Lovino up and bring him into the living room?"he asked once he had the herbal remedy finished.  
Antonio nodded and did so.

Lovino did _not_ look happy about being woken up, either. He huffed, barely keeping his eyes open.

When Feliciano handed him a bowl, the elder looked at the contents before blinking up at his younger brother with fevered eyes.

Feliciano huffed. "It's that herbal stuff that nonno used to make for us when we got sick."he said softly. "Just eat it,"

Lovino nodded in understanding and did so in silence.

As soon as he finished, he pushed the tray to the floor carefully and curled up against Antonio's side, letting his eyes flutter closed again. Nobody disturbed him this time.

Vash's phone went off a good bit after Antonio carried Lovino back to bed in silence. He answered it quietly. He gave a faint smile. "Sorry, sir. I forgot to call. Lovino's sick, but he'll be in after he gets to feeling better. I can come cover his shift if I need to."

Silence fell and Vash tilted his head. The response made Vash raise an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll let him know."

As soon as the Swiss hung up, he shook his head in amusement.

It took a few more days, but Lovino did get better.

Antonio gave him a soft smile when he saw the Italian up and ready for school the day after he started feeling better. He paused to kiss Lovino's cheek before finishing what he was doing.

Lovino gave a faint smile.

Raivis gave Lovino a faint smile when the group sat down that morning. "Everything back to normal, now?"he asked.

Lovino nodded.

Vash raised an eyebrow at Lovino as he joined the group. "And you're back!"he said with a soft smile. "Going back to work as well?"

Lovino nodded once. "Yeah. I'm going in last block."he said quietly. "They aren't having me work in the kitchen right now, so..social..that'll be fun."

"Aw, is the wittle baby scared of people?"Vash teased.

Lovino flipped him off. "Shut up. The last time I was social in that restruant, I had a knife pointed at me. It is perfectly founded that I'm hesitant to do that again,"

Raivis looked over at Lovino in shock. "What?!"he yelped.

Gilbert spoke. "Open mic night, Lovino performed on his break and one of your guys's more cruel people stopped by looking for him. Vash, West and me got the others out when things started getting bad..or rather, attempted to. Lovino slipped into his old submissive persona to keep West from getting shot and ended up with a knife held at his throat."

Raivis looked over at Lovino. He sighed. "You're suicidal,"he said softly. "You have to be to do something like that."

Lovino met his eyes for a moment. "I'd die for any of my friends,"he countered.

Nobody remarked on that. Because they knew it was true.

Antonio was rather quiet as he walked Lovino to his first block class. Once he stopped, he spoke. "If you don't feel like you can make it through the day here, let me know, I'll walk you home."he said softly.

Lovino half smiled. "You worry too much."he said in response. "I'll be okay,"

Antonio smiled softly, leaning down to steal a kiss from the Italian. "I love you,"he said, his voice quiet.

Lovino gave a soft smile in response. "I love you too."

Antonio moved away from Lovino, heading to his own class in silence.

Their normal.

At lunch, Lovino was back to joking around and laughing with the others.

Antonio smiled as he listened to Lovino tease Emil about something. The Icelander, who was normally very stotic, was bright red.

Antonio rolled his eyes and took one of Lovino's hands and brought it to his lips, effectively distracting him. Emil gave him a thankful smile when Lovino fell silent and looked over at the Spaniard.

Lukas chuckled faintly, but said nothing. He shot his brother a grin, but kept his silence.

Antonio murmured something quietly to Lovino, making the Italian give a sheepish smile. He nodded and let the topic drop, going back to an old conversation, trying to get the others involved in it.

It worked.

Vash couldn't help but wonder as he watched the group's interactions.. How did they understand each other so well like this? It was almost as if they'd known each other for their entire lives, but they hadn't, he knew they hadn't. But it was still nice.

**And here it is. I had to stop three times. I got distracted by conversations - Canada, Sweden, and Denmark distracted me. **

**Remember, let me know which pairings you prefer for Emil, Raivis, and Francis!**


	70. Chapter 70

**AN: Here's another chapter for you guys. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Alrighty, I know what I'll do. I'll take a poll from my cosplay group on Facebook and get them to decide. It's easier. Not as many ties that way. And yes, Lovi's healthy again!**

**ThatRandomReview: No, no, you didn't! I just did think things through. Again. Canada and Romano are always telling me that that'll get me into trouble one day...**

**Evelynyamine: I'm glad you liked it!**

**Enjoy.**

That evening, the group ended up all hanging around the Vargas home while Lovino was at work.

When the elder Italian came in, he immediately disappeared to get changed out of uniform. Once he returned, he gave the group a smile and settled down against Antonio's side.

Antonio smiled faintly down at Lovino, kissing his forehead lightly. "I take it work went well?"

"As well as it could go with a bunch of people asking if I was doing okay,"Lovino deadpanned. "Worrisome bastards,"

Antonio chuckled faintly.

Vash rolled his eyes and spoke up. "Alright, so, we have something we need to talk about."

Lovino didn't like the tone in his brother's voice, but he looked over anyways.

Vash half smiled and waited for everyone to fall silent before he continued. "As much as I loved to see the interactions today at lunch, I want to know one thing. How do you guys know each other so well?"

Gilbert shrugged. "We just know how to get a read on each other's energy levels. We've done this kind of thing for a while."

Lovino nodded. "It's just playful banters and stuff, that's it."

Vash nodded once in understanding, letting it drop, and allowing everyone to go back to their previous conversations.

The group settled down not long after that. Lovino was one of the first to fall asleep. Nobody blamed him. He was still recovering from being sick, after all.

The following morning, Lovino woke to find everyone else still sound asleep and smiled faintly, slipping out of Antonio's arms and setting about getting ready for the day before starting breakfast for everyone.

The others woke up and random intervals, but nobody really said much until after breakfast.

Raivis was the one to break the silence. "I suppose we'd better head out, huh?"he asked softly.

Lovino nodded from where he was cleaning up. As soon as he finished, he grabbed his bag and jacket and joined the others.

Antonio took Lovino's bag from him, getting an unamused look from the Italian, but said nothing.

The morning was rather calm for the group. No run ins with anyone unpleasant.

Classes weren't too bad for most of them. Lovino wasn't too happy by lunch though.

Antonio frowned when he noticed Lovino's scowl. "Aw, what's the matter, Lovi?"he asked softly as Lovino took a seat.

Lovino shook his head, signalling to the others not to talk to him just yet.

Nobody bugged him. They let him cool off before they started asking questions.

After school let out and the group made it to the Vargas home, Lovino got changed and left for work, pausing to give his brothers hugs and kiss Antonio's cheek before disappearing.

It was odd for the Italian to be so quiet, Antonio mused after he left. He frowned slightly, but he didn't say anything about it.

Vash did, however. "Have you guys noticed that Lovi's been acting off since lunch?"he asked.

Antonio nodded, but nobody pressed. They didn't know what it could mean, but it didn't look promising. They figured..they'd help Lovino if he needed help, until then, he could manage on his own. That's how he did it anyways.

**Sorry it's so short. But I have to get to sleep so I can be awake at school in the morning. **

**It took me three hours to write this. Germany, Canada, and America decided to have a little facebook-status-comment party when I asked them for pairings for Latvia, Iceland, and Francis. It did give me a bit of insight to how they thought, and Canada did remind me of one of my newer OTPs first thing - Iceland and Hong Kong. But I dunno. We'll see? If you have something you want to see..let me know.**


	71. Chapter 71

**AN: Here. By the way, I've learned something. Don't talk to the others when trying to write a chapter update. It doesn't work too well, as you guys saw last night. They distracted me from my work for two and a half hours.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: Nah, don't worry about it. That was my bad. **

**Spamano4ever: That shall be revealed this chapter, actually. **

**Enjoy.**

Lovino was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep. He'd tried. He sighed softly, glancing over at Antonio. Surprisingly, he hadn't managed to wake the Spaniard up when he got up to move to sit by the window to stare at the stars he could see from inside.

After a while, Antonio woke up. He wrinkled his nose slightly, blinking into the dark for a moment. "Lovi?"he mumbled, rubbing one of his eyes.

Lovino looked over at Antonio before he responded. "What?"

"You okay?"Antonio asked, pushing himself up so he could watch Lovino.

Lovino was quiet for a moment before he sighed. "Yeah. Couldn't sleep,"

Antonio half smiled. "C'mere,"he said softly.

Lovino hesitated, but he moved back over to Antonio's side, letting the Spaniard wrap his arms around him.

"You should have woken me up,"

Lovino shook his head.

The others were still sound asleep, but Lovino knew it wouldn't take much to wake one of them. So, he sighed. "Go back to sleep, baby."

Antonio laid back down, pulling Lovino with him so that the Italian could lay his head on his chest, over his heart.

Lovino smiled faintly when he heard Antonio's heart beat. He spared a look up at the Spaniard, but said nothing, letting him go back to sleep. Eventually, he drifted off too.

The following morning, Lovino really didn't want to leave the warmth of the blanket that Antonio and him were currently wrapped in. He knew it was freezing outside, and he also knew it was cold as fuck in the house.

Antonio spoke softly. "Lovi, c'mon, time to get up."

"Nuh-uh."Lovino mumbled, curling up further when Antonio got up anyways.

Vash frowned. This _really_ wasn't like Lovino. Even if he didn't feel very well, he normally didn't do this. He spoke softly. "C'mon, kiddo, you gotta get ready for school."

Lovino shook his head, so Vash huffed and pulled the covers away from Lovino, making the Italian glare at him.

"Up."Vash said. "Now. You've missed enough school, get _up_."

Antonio gave Vash a look, moving to pull the Italian up. But Lovino rolled his eyes, ignoring the offered hand up and getting up on his own, disappearing to get ready for school.

Matthew hummed softly, seeming a bit confused. "He hasn't done this in years.."he said softly.

Vash looked over at the Canadian. "What do you mean?"  
"He used to be scared to go to school, and he always acted like that.."Matthew said, frowning slightly. "People are cruel,"

Vash scowled at that. "Great,"he grumbled.

That morning was a quiet one. Lovino ended up napping against Antonio before first block.

Antonio half smiled, glancing down at the Italian.

Roderich decided to join them then and raised an eyebrow. "Did the kid get any sleep last night?"he asked, nodding at Lovino.

Antonio shook his head. "No. I woke up about two thirty and he was sitting at the window, said he couldn't sleep."

Roderich sighed, shaking his head slightly.

It was odd, seeing how much the group cared for one another from an outsider's point of view, but Antonio had gotten used to it after he got together with Lovino. Now he normally focused on keeping Lovino from injuring or killing someone if he got mad at them instead of decoding words.

It was definitely different, Antonio thought, not so bad, but different for sure.

**I know it's short, but I'm like dead on my feet now.**


	72. Chapter 72

**AN: Hallo.**

**Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I know. And, also, if you haven't noticed yet with this story, I have a thing for pet names. They're so cute! So, you shall see a lot more of Lovi calling Toni baby.**

**Enjoy.**

The day wasn't too bad. Lovino was a bit more subdued, but it was more due to his lack of sleep than anything. By lunch, he was back to normal.

Raivis came in a bit late, talking on the phone quietly. Lovino could tell from his expression that whatever it was wasn't good.

"..Okay. Th-thanks for letting me know."Raivis said as he sat down. He hung up not even a second later, confusion displayed on his face.

Lovino blinked. "What's going on?"he asked, studying the Latvian's expression.

Raivis met Lovino's gaze for a moment before he spoke. "It's nothing. My aunt just called.."

Lovino understood then and sighed. "Man..if they're going to do this to you, you are more than welcome to stay with Feli and me."

Nobody questioned what was going on and Raivis caved and let Lovino know he would stay with Feliciano and him until he had a place to go.

After that, things settled down again.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Antonio frowned when Lovino hadn't shown up outside. It had already been a good fifteen minutes since school had ended. The Italian was almost always there by then.

Francis noticed and rolled his eyes. "Calm down, mon ami. Lovino's inside, talking to the band teacher about something."

Lovino came outside not long after, pausing to peck Antonio's lips softly before he greeted the others. "Hey, guys, sorry I'm late."he said softly. "They're already planning something for Valentine's Day. The band teacher wants me to perform again, but I told her I'd rather work backstage or something."

Antonio wrapped his arms around Lovino's waist. "Why?"he asked softly.

"Because my boss and coworkers already have me performing the day before Valentine's Day."Lovino said. "I don't feel up to performing here as well."

Antonio nodded and let it drop.

When the group had everything worked out, they went to leave again, but Antonio once again refused to let Lovino go.

Lovino rolled his eyes, turning to face Antonio. "We've talked about this. I have to be able to walk to go home, let me go."he said softly.

Antonio pouted. "Don't wanna."

Lovino shook his head, signalling for the others to go ahead.

They did.

"You're awfully clingy recently."Lovino remarked. "Everything okay?"

"I'm worried about you."

Oh.

Well, damn, he couldn't help that.

Lovino shook his head. "Don't be."he said softly. "I'd let you know if you needed to worry,"  
Antonio pushed Lovino's bangs out of his eyes and behind his ear in silence then and sighed. "I still worry. Because I love you too much not to. Because I don't want to run risk of losing you. And because I don't want you to think that I hate you because I don't care."

Lovino understood then. Antonio was scared Lovino would start hating him. "Oh..baby, no."he said softly, shaking his head. "I would never hate you. I couldn't, even if my life depended on it."

"Promise?"Antonio asked.

He knew he was acting like a child..but he didn't want to lose Lovino.

Lovino smiled. "I swear,"he said, crossing his heart before he leaned up and stole another kiss from Antonio. "Now let's go home, si?"

Antonio nodded and released Lovino only to grab one of his hands in silence.

The walk was long, but it was nice.

It was peaceful, full of easy conversation and jokes.

"...I mean it, I really do love when you wear the angel wings, but even without them, you a_re _my angel. Why won't you accept that?"Antonio said softly.

Lovino laughed softly. "Because, I'm not an angel. I'm okay with pretending to make people feel better, but I will not deny that I am definitely not an angel of any sort in any way."

Antonio pulled Lovino to a stop and met his eyes. "You're an angel. Because you're selfless, and you care so much for those you're closest to. You'd fight for your friends and family, but not yourself. You're sweet, and whether you believe it or not, you are innocent and pure still as well. So, yes. You are an angel."

Lovino sighed. "Okay,"he said softly.

Antonio kissed his cheek and began walking again, changing topics easily.

Lovino half smiled as he listened to Antonio ramble on about nothing at all. It had been a nice day, despite the terrible night that had come prior to it.

**And so. Here's the new chappy for ya. **

**Remember. Pairings would be a blessing from you guys! Especially since my friends are NO HELP WHATSOEVER!**


	73. Chapter 73

**AN: Here you go, loves. **

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: Spamanoy? Is that even a word? Hm..but I suppose they are.**

**ThatRandomReview: Indeed he does..and as for meaning that he accepted that he was an Angel.. Hm..perhaps.**

**Evelynyamine: I most certainly will. I shall be working on doing that. Probably at school, on paper, just for something to write.**

**Glitch: You actually have really good english. I'm glad you like the story! And I have seen a few France/China stories..I'm a fan of the crack pairings, normally. I'll see what I can do with the pairings. Thanks!**

**SilenceOfCrimsonSnow: I will be doing my research on the France/Joan D'Arc stories this evening so I can get a feel of how things like that work. I know I've seen **_**plenty**_** of pictures circling Facebook for that pairing. Iceland and Turkey is possible one of my favorite Iceland pairings, admittedly. I do ship Iceland and Hong Kong, but again, that's because I like pairings that are..different, and it seems different to me. Still. I will ship any pairing at least once before I shrug it off and decide not to write it again. **

**kyouno-aru: (Chapter 19) I'm glad you like it!**

**Enjoy.**

While the evening was full of laughter and jokes, that night was rather quiet. Gilbert had talked the entire group into watching a scary movie. Feliciano was hiding his face in Ludwig's shoulder and Lovino was flinching every so often. Matthew stayed hidden in Gilbert's arms, and Raivis and Tino were both looking like they were about to pass out.

At some point, Lovino let a yelp escape him and he hid against Antonio's side. God, he _hated_ scarry movies.

Antonio chuckled faintly, settling his arms around Lovino after passing Tino and Raivis a blanket to hide under so they didn't have to watch the movie.

As soon as the movie ended, Gilbert spoke. "So..."he said.

Lovino moved away from Antonio and glared at the Prussian. "What the hell was that about?"he asked, his voice shaking. "Are you _trying_ to scar everyone?"

Gilbert shook his head. "No."he said softly. "I wasn't trying to do that,"

Lovino huffed and got up, setting about fixing some chamomile tea for the others.

Once he finished, he came back, carrying a tray of mugs. He handed them out, frowning when he noticed how much Raivis was shaking. "You alright, Raiv?"he asked softly.

Raivis nodded, taking the mug from Lovino when he offered it. "Th-thanks,"

Lovino nodded in understanding.

A lot of the group didn't get much sleep that night.

The following morning, Lovino was up and ready before half of the others were awake. He knew that he had managed to black out that night. The others hadn't been so lucky.

Silence filtered over the entire group as they entered the school. It was odd, having the group so subdued. But, nobody commented on it. Peace was something that was hard to find within the group as of recently.

"So..Lovino.."Antonio said as he walked the Italian to his first block. "I was wondering..."

Lovino looked over at Antonio. It wasn't often that the Spaniard got bashful, but the way he was stumbling over his words _was_ endearing.

"I was wondering if you'd be up to go out on a date with me on Valentine's Day."Antonio said softly.

Lovino half smiled faintly. "Sure."he said. "I'd love to,"

Antonio grinned.

When they stopped outside of Lovino's class, Antonio hesitated. "I love you. You know that, right?"he said softly.

Lovino nodded. "I know. I love you too."

Antonio smiled faintly and gave the Italian a soft kiss before disappearing to his own class.

Throughout the day, Lovino couldn't help but wonder why Antonio had been so bashful. It wasn't normal for him.

By lunch, Antonio was back to normal, and Lovino spent a lot of time joking with the others while also trying to figure out why he'd been so bashful that morning.

After a while, he outright asked.

Antonio blinked at him before he shrugged. "Just 'cause.."he said softly. "Feli told me you aren't big on Valentine's Day. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable or anything."

Lovino gave a soft smile and rolled his eyes. "Goof."

Feliciano grinned from where he was leaning against Ludwig's side. "You know, I think this year will be the best yet."

Lovino laughed softly. "You mean, we won't be stuck in the house listening to the same damned crap over and over again?"he asked softly, eyes bright.

Feliciano nodded.

Yeah. That did sound pretty good, Lovino thought. Was he going to say it? Probably not. But still, it was going to be one of the best years yet for the Vargas brothers.

**Here you go, loves.**

**Now..off to work on a drabble for our France.**


	74. Chapter 74

**AN: So. Fun day so far. I gave up on working on France's drabble. I need more information before I can finish it!**

**Anywho..**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Alright, sounds legit to me. Definitely.**

**ThatRandomReview: Gilbert and Matthew, Arthur and Alfred, Lovino and Antonio and Vash and Roderich have all had 'official dates' whether they were shown or not. Lovino and Antonio have gone on a few dates. Not very many, but still. Maybe three?**

**Guest: I'm glad you like it, and I'm glad that your friend enjoys it as well. I will say that this is no where near finished. It's not like I planned (At most, maybe 100 chapters) because my writing takes a mind of it's own.**

**Penguin Braginski: It is a roit. Not always in a good way. Like today after school, we had a mini, non-costume cosplay. Not fun, because we had so many people around us and they were looking at us all like we belonged in a mental institute or something. But still, it was fun. And it has been odd, the group being so chilled lately. I will have to do a lot of research with these France pairings. I've never seen Seychelles in the show or anything. **

**Enjoy.**

The days flew by and before the group knew it, the week leading up to Valentine's Day had arrived.

Lovino was staying after school quite often, and then heading to work so he didn't get home until late, and was also working on what he was going to perform at work as well.

Antonio didn't like the effect all this was having on Lovino. The Italian was all but dead on his feet.

So, the last evening before the performance at Lovino's work place and at school, Antonio pulled Lovino aside. "Lovi.."he said softly. "You need to take a break,"

Lovino sighed. "I will. Once this is all over with."he commented.

Antonio shook his head. "Lovi, I mean it. You're dead on your feet. Stop and take a break. Let us worry over Feli and everything. You need some rest."

Lovino didn't argue against that. Instead, he let Antonio lead him back to the group.

As soon as they sat down, Lovino slumped against Antonio lightly. He was exhausted.

Nobody bothered him. They let him drift off to sleep.

Matthew spoke softly. "I wish he wouldn't work himself so much."he said softly, frowning at his sleeping best friend. "He's working towards an early grave doing this."

Gilbert glanced over at Lovino before he settled his chin on Matthew's shoulder. He knew why Lovino was doing this. He wanted to make his brother proud of him.

Feliciano was watching Lovino in silence. "..Gil..?"he asked quietly.

Gilbert raised his head to glance at the younger Italian.

"..would you feel up to helping him set up tomorrow so he doesn't try to do it all by himself?"

Gilbert smiled faintly and nodded. "Yeah. Sure. In fact, if one of you guys will cover for me, I'll go ahead and go set up while you guys are at the performance."

Antonio stayed quiet, carding his fingers through Lovino's hair gently.

That night was one of the calm ones. Lovino was well rested when he got up the following morning, and was quick to get ready for school. He was once again, by request of both Feliciano and Antonio, wearing the angel wings. It was still a running joke with the group. And Lovino had gotten to where he was alright with wearing them, as well.

Antonio smiled faintly when he saw the wings, running a finger over one of them and making Lovino look back at him.

Lovino gave him a soft smile and kissed his cheek before going back to what he was doing - trying to figure out how to get his button up shirt on without screwing the wings up.

Antonio laughed lightly and took the Italian's overshirt away from him and disappeared for a moment, leaving Lovino to glare after him.

A few moments later, Antonio came back with one of his own overshirts that he had ripped and torn to work. He helped Lovino put in on in silence. Feliciano glanced over to see this and smiled faintly. "If you two are going to eat, you need to get into the kitchen."

The two did so without a word.

Lovino couldn't help but smile when he saw Ludwig give Feliciano a piggy back ride to school. He knew that his brother loved when people did that. He kept the comment to himself, but Gilbert noticed the faint smile and rolled his eyes. "Good to know that you've gotten to wear you can stand West being with Feli."

Lovino rolled his eyes in response and shrugged. "He makes Feli happy."he countered.

That morning was nice for the group. It had been calm recently, but it was a nice change.

Vash had laughed lightly at Lovino - not only due to the fact that he had the wings on again, but the fact that Antonio's shirt was huge on the Italian.

Lovino pouted at the Swiss, who rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Oh, I'm just laughing because it's cute."he said softly. "Lili would love that,"

Lovino tilted his head. "How's she doing, by the way?"he asked curiously.

Vash shrugged. "She's doing good. Worried to death over Feli and you. You two should stop by soon."

Lovino smiled faintly. "Bring her here with you tomorrow. I'll look after her for the day."

Vash seemed hesitant but he nodded in understanding. "Yeah, okay.."

Antonio spoke softly. "Who's Lili?"he asked curiously.

"Vash's little sister,"Gilbert answered. "She's like..six, right?"

Vash gave Gilbert a deadpan look. "She's eight,"he corrected. "And if you mess with her tomorrow, I swear to god, Gilbert, I will take a knife and gut you."

Gilbert nodded in understanding. "I'll leave her be, I promise!"

Vash examined him for a moment longer before he let it drop.

Lovino smiled. He'd always loved how protective Vash was over his little sister. It was the same way he was with Feliciano. Only Vash was more extreme than he was.

The day was turning out to be pretty good, Lovino thought. Now, how about we not find someone who can screw it up.

**So..there is a reason that I brought Liechtenstein into this. We had a cosplay moment at buses today, and our Switzerland informed us that her little sister is our Liechtenstein. How kawaii. **

**Anyways..here.**


	75. Chapter 75

**AN: Here you are, loves, a new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Indeed. Protective!Vash is just normal Vash. But it is adorable when he gets protective, anyways. **

**Penguin Braginski: I'm glad you liked the Gerita moment. And as for songs? Well..I figure this one time, it'll be skipped over. Mostly because my sleep deprived brain doesn't want to work with me on that. **

**ThatRandomReview: Mattie..well, he wouldn't die. He wouldn't be happy, but he'd still live. And Vash..he'd only put Gil in the hospital for messing with his kleine Schwester. **

**Enjoy. **

The performances went without a hitch, and Lovino could finally relax.

The following morning, Lovino avoided the angel wings. He'd gotten so tired of wearing them yesterday, but he didn't object when Antonio threw him one of his own tee shirts to wear. It still smelled like the Spaniard, though Lovino knew it had been washed just a couple days before.

The group was quiet on the way to school. When Vash entered, carrying Lili, Lovino grinned brightly.

Vash let the eight year old down near Lovino and took a seat with Roderich nearby to keep an eye on the girl.

Lili immediately gave both Feliciano and Lovino tight hugs in greeting.

It took a moment for Lovino to convince her that Antonio was alright though. When Lovino couldn't, Vash stepped in. "Yeah, Toni's alright, Lili. He's with Lovi, and Lovi'd never stay with someone who'd hurt him or his family."

Lili met Vash's eyes before looking at Antonio and giving a faint smile.

While she had yet to say anything, she had definitely made an impact on the group.

Raivis jogged up to them then, grinning. "Guys! I have good news!"he said, then caught sight of Lili and blinked. "Aw, who's this little one?"

Lili shied away from the Latvian, making Lovino chuckle and Raivis frown.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Lili, this is my friend, Raivis."he said quietly. "Raivis, this is Lili. She's Vash's kid sister,"

Raivis nodded.

"So..this good news..?"Lovino asked after a moment.

Raivis's grin showed up again. "Oh, yeah! I just talked with Eduard. He's been speaking with someone from the police department this morning. I told him you wouldn't want to press charges on anyone for the past..but he did anyways. But the good news is that they have actually gathered the 'ringleaders' off the streets again."

Lovino blinked in surprise and frowned in confusion before he understood. He grinned brightly. "Are you kidding?"he asked.

Raivis shook his head.

"Where is that bastard, I need to give him a hug for this."Lovino said softly.

Raivis laughed softly. "I'll drag him by at lunch. He's attempting to do some last minute studying in the library right now."

Lovino nodded in understanding.

Feliciano raised an eyebrow. "Happy?"he asked the two.

Raivis nodded, flitting off again in silence. Lovino smiled. "Best Valentines ever."he said softly, leaning against Antonio and playing with Lili's hair quietly. "Li, do you want me to braid your hair?"he asked softly.

Lili nodded once.

While her hair wasn't really long, it wasn't very short, either.

Vash smiled faintly as Lovino set about braiding Lili's hair. He still didn't know how to do it. It was always Lovino who did it.

The Italian shifted so he wasn't leaning against Antonio anymore and was quick about braiding Lili's hair, placing a hair tie at the end before he smiled faintly. "There you go."

When Lili looked back at Lovino with a smile, Francis gasped in surprise. A perfect French braid. He had yet to see someone who was able to do one, especially so quickly.

Vash laughed at the frenchman's expression. "Lovino learned when he was little how to do a French braid, and he's just gotten better at it through the years. He used to help Lili torture me a couple of years ago."

Lili laughed quietly. "Only because it was fun to mess with you, big brother."she said with a bright smile.

When the bell rang, Lili gave Vash a hug, gaining a promise from Vash that he'd see her at lunch before she allowed Lovino to pick her up so she wouldn't get trampled in the halls.

Antonio walked them to Lovino's first block, keeping a steady stream of words going and getting a few laughs out of both of them.

When Antonio stopped outside of the classroom, he smiled softly. Lovino let Lili down again now that he was sure she would be okay, but still kept ahold of one of her hands.

Antonio smiled again and spoke softly. "I'll see you at lunch, Lovi."he said softly. "Love you."

Lovino smiled softly at him. "I love you too. Get to class,"

Antonio pecked Lovino's lips before disappearing and letting Lovino lead Lili into the classroom. He quickly explained to the teacher what Lili was doing there and set to work, keeping Lili occupied as well.

By lunch, Lovino was laughing lightly at the constant stream of German out of the eight year old's mouth.

"Vash, get her. I can't understand a word she's saying,"Lovino said when he saw Vash.

"Bull,"Vash countered, but grabbed his little sister anyways. "You're fluent in German as well. I know both Feliciano and you are."

Lovino huffed and settled down against Antonio's side tiredly.

Vash noticed and laughed. "Oh, has she tired you out already?"

Lovino glowered. "Shut up, it's just time for my siesta."

Antonio ran his fingers through Lovino's hair gently. "Go ahead and take a nap, Lovi."he said softly.

Lovino nodded and settled down.

At that moment, though, Raivis showed up, pulling another boy along behind him.

"Lovi!"

Lovino cursed under his breath in Italian and glanced back.

Raivis gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry to disturb your rest,"

Lovino shrugged, turning his gaze on the other boy. He knew him, of course, in passing. Through Feliciano, who was friends with basically everyone at the school. "So, Raiv told me what you did. Thank you. So much."

Eduard shrugged, looking down. "It's not such a big deal."he said.

Lovino nodded for the two to take a seat before settling back down for a nap.

As soon as Lovino drifted to sleep, Antonio smiled faintly. "Well, today's been interesting so far.."he commented.

And of course, it had been. It was one of the more interesting days for the group in a while.

**Here. I'm tired, so it's time for bed. Gute Nacht, loves.**


	76. Chapter 76

**AN: Here's the new chapter! Sorry about it taking so long. I had a long day yesterday. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReivew: Nah, it's fine. **

**Penguin Braginski: Lili is adorable. **

**Spamano4ever: She is!**

**Guest: (Hey). Well, I'm sorry to hear you had a bad day, but I'm glad that this helped! I hope things get better for you!**

**Enjoy.**

Antonio rubbed Lovino's arm softly at the end of lunch. "Lovi, wake up,"he said quietly.

Lovino lifted his head slightly and gave him a look, blinking, before he shook his head and laid his head back down.

"Fratello!"Feliciano said.

Lovino huffed, blinking at his brother coldly.

"Why don't you just go home?"

Lovino shrugged once and shook his head.

Antonio ran his hands through the Italian's hair, but didn't say anything.

After a moment, Lovino sighed, pushing Antonio's hand away and sitting up in silence. He rubbed at his eyes before he got up.

After that, the day went by without any issues. Lovino kept Lili from getting hurt and returned her to Vash at the end of the day.

But Vash examined him a bit further and frowned at how tense Lovino was. "What happened?"he asked, moving to making the Italian look up at him. He sighed when he saw the faint bruising on the Italian's face. "Of course."

Antonio came outside then, wrapping his arms around Lovino from behind and making the Italian tense up further. "Whoa, hey, calm down, Lovi. What's the matter?"

Vash backed up again and Lovino looked back at Antonio, letting the Spaniard see the bruising.

His eyes darkened at the sight of the bruises. "Who hurt you."

"It's nothing,"Lovino said quietly. "Just let it go,"

Antonio let his thumb ghost over the bruising before he released Lovino and let him turn. He shook his head, kissing his forehead lightly. "I wish people would leave you alone,"

Lovino shrugged. "Better me than any of the rest of you guys."he said.

Antonio let it go. He knew that his boyfriend was always sacrificing himself for the others. He'd gotten used to it a while back, in fact.

The walk home was quiet for Antonio and Lovino. They let the others go ahead so they could talk in private. Since they were still planning on going out on a date that evening, they needed to work everything out beforehand.

"No!"Lovino said, laughing lightly. They were currently sitting in the corner booth of some restruant in town.

Antonio nodded. "It was hilarious..but it was also the last time they ever came to visit."

Lovino snorted softly. "I would think so,"he said softly. "Man, if someone did that to me, they'd be dead."

"Yes, they would. I'd kill them,"Antonio said.

_Of course you would,_ Lovino thought. He gave Antonio a smile. "I love you,"he offered.

Antonio grinned. "I love you too. And Happy Valentine's Day. I forgot to tell you earlier."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Happy Valentine's Day."

One of the waiters was listening to this exchange closeby and gave a soft smile.

When the two went to leave, the waiter stopped them to speak with them. "So, you two are out on a date today, yes?"

Antonio nodded, tightening his grip on Lovino's hand protectively.

The waiter noticed and smiled faintly. "No harm meant, I was merely curious. Besides..it's sweet, seeing how you two interact."

Lovino gave a faint smile. "Thank you,"

A nod.

Antonio lead Lovino out of the restruant not long after, smiling faintly.

That had never really happened before. Not since Halloween. Never as direct, either.

But..it wasn't too bad.

**Sorry for the shortness, loves. I have something going on at church this evening though, so..here this is. **


	77. Chapter 77

**AN: Here you go, loves. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Sweet? I suppose. And Lovi'll be okay. It's not like Toni and Vash are going to let people fuck with him. You have to think: Leichtenstein was there. She'll tell Vash what happened!**

**NOMNOMBUNNYWILLEATYOURSOUL: They are..**

**Penguin Braginski: I know..I mean, I started off basing the characters off my group's cosplayers as much as I could, since that's the most exposure I've ever had to their actual personalities in a high school setting..and then I realized..no I want to make this a bit different. Not like the fucking bullshit school I go to, in some homophobic town. I want there to be some allies who would speak up. Just to show people..they aren't alone. **

**ThatRandomReview: Indeed they are.**

**DarkestDangel: ..how? I have no life. That's how. All I ever to is write.**

**Enjoy.**

The two ended up sitting at the park again. It was a nice pass time for them. Lovino really did enjoy the park. Since the moon was almost full, even without a street lamp on near them, it was bright enough to see.

Antonio was watching Lovino swing, smiling at the soft laughter echoing in the quiet coming from Lovino.

Just a bit before nine thirty, the same waiter who had stopped them in the restruant passed the park and noticed them. He shook his head in amusement and Antonio shrugged, motioning him over.

Lovino seemed to notice, because he drug himself to a stop with a bright smile.

As soon as the other male came to a stop in front of them, Antonio spoke. "I never did ask before, but why exactly did you stop us in the restruant?"he asked, out of pure curiousity.

"...I've heard a lot about you from an old friend of mine..and well..I'm glad to see people who aren't scared to be themselves."

Lovino tilted his head. "This friend..may I get a name?"

"His name's Emil Steilsson."

Lovino laughed lightly. "Thought so."

Antonio blinked in confusion. "Wait, what?"

Lovino smiled softly. "The silver-haired boy who lives with Mathias and Lukas. The one who offered to let Tino stay with them?"

Antonio nodded that he understood and let it drop.

Lovino rolled his eyes, looking back at the male. "I believe I've seen you around. You're one of the freshmen, aren't you?"

An uncomfortable look passed over his face then. "Yes."he said, taking a step back.

Lovino raised an eyebrow at that. He knew that move. He'd pulled it plenty. "We aren't looking to hurt you, kid. What's your name?"

"Kaoru."

Antonio spoke softly. "Well..thanks for..you know, not bashing us like most people would have."he offered when Lovino fell silent.

Kaoru gave a soft snort. "As if. I was raised better than that."he said. "Besides..why judge others? It's hypocritical."

Lovino smiled faintly. "That's very true."

Not long after, Kaoru left and the two lapsed back into silence for a while.

After a short while in silence, Lovino looked over at Antonio. "Toni?"he asked.

Antonio looked over at Lovino curiously.

Lovino half smiled. "Can we go home now?"

Antonio smiled and nodded, getting up and waiting on Lovino.

As soon as they walked in, Vash started in. "Lovino. We need to talk, kiddo."

Lovino sighed and let himself be pulled out to the front porch again by the Swiss.

Antonio blinked in surprise, but didn't ask as he sat down with the others.

_S&S_-

The following morning found Emil dragging Kaoru over to the group.

Lovino was napping lightly against Antonio's side, and Matthew was attempting to read while Gilbert played with his hair. Feliciano looked up from where he was messing with Ludwig's iron cross necklace to look at the late arrivals."Hey!"he greeted the two brightly.

Emil nodded in response and Kaoru gave a faint smile. "Hello."

Lovino woke up slightly when Feliciano had spoken and was blinking at the two before he huffed and curled up further, settling back down to go back to sleep.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow in concern, so Francis intervened. "Lovi's just not a morning person. Don't worry too much about it."

The following introductions were quick and quiet. Most of the others wanted to let Lovino get his rest, since he'd had a pretty restless night the night before.

Even with so much going on, things were calm that morning. And nobody wanted to mess it up.

**So..here's the thing. I can't help it, I ship Iceland and Hong Kong. So I looked up Hong Kong's human name, went to the same place I go for everyone else's. It said Kaoru.**

**So Kaoru is Hong Kong in this one.**


	78. Chapter 78

**AN: Here's a new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: Indeed he did.**

**Penguin Braginski: You will see, I promise.**

**DarkestDangel: I'm glad you think so!**

**Enjoy.**

As soon as Vash and Lovino were outside, Vash closed the door and watched Lovino take a seat on the front porch steps. He sighed and sat down beside him. "So, Lili told me what happened,"he said softly. "I'm proud of you."

Lovino looked over at Vash for a moment before he shrugged. "As if I'd let her get hurt. She's my baby sister as much as she is yours. Quite literaly now that you've adopted Feli and me as brothers."he commented. "She's too innocent to have to deal with those bastards."

Vash laughed softly. "That she is."he said. "Still. Thank you for defending her. I'm sorry that you got hurt, Bruder. You'd think..with your past..a lot of people have come to me who've caught bits and pieces of your past with all the crap happening recently..stating how shocked they were that you'd still put yourself in harm's way for another person.."

Lovino looked down. "I'm trying to make up for my mistakes."he admitted. "I have to."

Vash was quiet for a long moment before he sighed. "Listen, Lovino..I know it feels like you made everyone feel so ashamed..but I am so very proud of you. For all you've gone through..all of that..it made you such an amazing person. Am I sad you had to go through that? Yeah, I am. I won't hide that. Am I ashamed to call you a brother after it? Fuck no. It just shows me how strong you are, how far you'd go to protect those you love."

"Can we..can we please not talk about this right now?"Lovino asked.

"I talked to your dad today. Feli knows. He got to speak with him. He yelled at him."Vash said.

Lovino looked up at Vash with wide eyes. "What..?"he said. "When? Where?"

Vash shook his head. "He came by, maybe ten minutes after you and Antonio left for your date. Your nonno had been giving him and your mom updates on how you and Feli were doing, what was going on."he said.

Lovino let out a huff.

"Listen, Lovi..I won't lie and say he's proud of you. He said some pretty god awful things about you, actually. Feli jumped in before I could say anything, and basically told him that if he had such a problem with you, then why the hell was he even here, because you were the reason that he was still alive to begin with."Vash said quietly.

Lovino looked back down at that. He should've known. His dad would never be proud of him.

Vash felt his heart break when he watched Lovino's head go down and eyes close, knowing that the boy had just had his heart shattered. "But your mother said that she was coming home. She left him,"

Lovino's eyes flew open again and he met Vash's eyes, hope finally appearing in his own for the first time in years.

_Feli and me won't be on our own anymore..._ Lovino thought, a few tears falling.

Vash carefully wiped them away and spoke softly. "She said she was very proud of you, looking after your brother like that. She's going to be home tomorrow, when we get back from school."

Lovino smiled faintly.

"But..I have a request to make..stay with the rest of us after school. There's something you need to see..to hear."

Lovino nodded in understanding and Vash gave him a gentle hug. "Ich liebe dich, Bruder."he said softly. "Ich bin sehr stolz auf dich."

Lovino smiled. "I love you too."

Vash released him then and led him back inside.

Antonio raised an eyebrow at the faint smile on Lovino's face. He hadn't expected it.

Feliciano grinned. "Did big brother tell you?"he asked happily.

Lovino met his brother's eyes, smiling in return. "Yeah, he did."he said, moving to take a seat with Antonio, who wrapped his arms around him.

Nobody said anything else on the matter.

_S&S_-

The following morning, Lovino woke up in a pretty good mood. Antonio and him ended up joking around a lot at school before first block, gaining soft laughs from the others. Feliciano was using Ludwig as a prop to keep him upright, and Lovino couldn't help but smile at the sight of them. He hadn't been very keen on it in the beginning, sure, but Ludwig kept his brother safe and happy. That's all he could ever ask.

The day flew by for the group. Lovino was pulled into the auditorium by a hyperactive Feliciano, making him laugh lightly.

Vash, who was sitting on the stage smiled at him. "Lovi, have a seat."

Both of the brothers sat down with the others.

As soon as everyone was seated, Vash spoke again. "Alright, Lovi..I know you'll hate me for doing this later, but..you need to hear this. It goes along with the conversation we had last night. Something that you said, mostly. I want you to really listen to the lyrics, okay?"

Lovino nodded once.

Vash seemed hesitant, but he did start singing after a split second's hesitation, making Feliciano grin.

"_I guess you really did it this time, left yourself in your war path, lost your balance on the tight rope, lost your mind trying to get it back. Wasn't it easier in your lunch-box days? Always a bigger bed to crawl into. Wasn't it beautiful, when you believed in everything, and everybody believed in you? It's alright, just wait and see, your string of lights is still bright to me. Who you are is not where you've been, you're still an innocent."_

Lovino's smiled had disappeared. He met Vash's eyes as the Swiss continued.

"_Did some things you can't speak of, but at night you live it all again. You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now, if only you had seen what you know now then.. Wasn't it easier in your fire-fly catching days? When everything out of reach someone bigger brought down to you? Wasn't it beautiful, running wild till you fell asleep, before the monsters caught up to you? It's alright just wait and see, your string of lights is still bright to me. Who you are is not where you've been, you're still an innocent. It's okay, life is a tough crowd...who you are is not what you did, you're still an innocent."_

Lovino looked down for a moment in thought, glancing back up at the next bit.

"_Time turns flames to embers, you'll have new Septembers, every one of us has messed up too. Minds change like the weather, I hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new."_

Vash stopped there and spoke softly. He didn't sing the next couple of lines, but he did say them. "It's alright, just wait and see. Your string of lights is still bright to me. Who you are is not where you've been. You're still an innocent. It's okay, life is a tough crowd...who you are is not what you did, you're still an innocent."

_Still an innocent, huh?_ Lovino thought. He didn't respond for the longest, so Vash spoke again. "Lovino?"

Lovino didn't look up.

_"No! Stop! Please.." It echoed in the quiet. One mistake after another. He hadn't been home to look after Feliciano in days. Vash was probably struggling to keep the younger Italian calm._

_"Shut up, kid!" A harsh voice. Followed by an even harsher punch. He felt one of the bones in his arm snap. He whimpered, but didn't say anything. _

_Instead, tears started falling. _

_"Aw, look at the wittle baby cwy."_

_Lovino glared at the man in front of him. "Shut up, bastard."he snapped, spitting at his feet. _

_Another hit, this one right across his left cheek. "You never learn. Do you?"_

_Lovino didn't respond. He knew the drill by now. He wasn't supposed to._

_"Just a worthless child. You mean _nothing_ to anyone. Nobody would care if you were dead. You're not the same innocent kid you were when you started, and everyone knows it. Everyone will know what you've done here..what you will still do."_

_Lovino didn't argue. He knew it was true. How could anyone care? He was trash, he knew that._

"Lovino!"Vash said, his voice closer. It snapped the Italian from his memory. He looked up with haunted eyes at his elder brother. When Lovino responded to that, Vash relaxed a little bit. "Those sorry bastards really did a number on you, huh?"

Lovino sighed. "Can we just go home?"he asked.

Vash nodded and backed up.

When they started on the way back to the Vargas home, Antonio noticed Lovino lagging behind and half smiled, pulling the tiny Italian onto his back so he could carry him home.

Lovino smiled faintly. "Grazie,"he mumbled, resting his chin on Antonio's shoulder and taking in his scent.

As soon as they reached the porch, Lovino got off Antonio's back, only to be sweeped into a hug by someone. "Lovi..."

Lovino squirmed slightly. "Madre?"he asked.

A soft laugh.

Lovino was finally released, and found himself being examined by gentle hands.

Honey coloured eyes matching Feliciano's took in the dark bruise forming on Lovino's cheek. "What happened here?"

"He was protecting Lili yesterday, ma'am."Vash said.

Quiet fell over the group until Lovino hid behind Antonio again. Mother or not, he didn't like this. He'd never been good with accepting affection from people he didn't know well.

**Here you go, loves.**


	79. Chapter 79

**AN: Here's a new chapter for you.**

**To those who reviewed:  
Penguin Braginski: You'll see why I brought her in. I have something planned, but there has to be a paretal figure there in order for it to work out.**

**Spamano4ever: It is sad, but after all he's gone through in his life? Completely understandable.**

**DarkestDangel: No clue. I'll have to figure out where I'm going with it.**

**ThatRandomReview: Yes, their mom is back. **

**Evelylamine: ..sorry?**

**Enjoy. **

The following morning, Antonio woke up to Lovino yelling at someone.

"Baby?"he asked, blinking his eyes open to see Lovino sitting up beside him, glaring at his mom.

Lovino glanced back at him. "Sorry to wake you,"he said before going back to glaring at his mother.

Feliciano woke up then and groaned. He looked over to see the glare on his brother's face. "Fratello..?"

Lovino shook his head. He got up. "Forget it,"he snapped, spitting at the ground at his mom's face before disappearing to get ready for school. He was wrong. He'd thought maybe things would get easier with their mom back, but things had only gotten more stressful.

He stopped in the doorway and looked back at his mom. "Oh, and by the way, _mother,"_he said. "Don't expect me home before dark tonight. I have work."

Then he disappeared.

Feliciano sighed. "I'm sorry, mom."

Emiliana looked back at her youngest son and shrugged. "I just don't get how he could be so cold.."

Antonio glowered then. "He's not. He cuts himself off, but he's not cold. He tries to keep himself safe from hurt emotionally by acting like he doesn't care."he replied, making Emiliana look to him in surprise.  
"You seem to know Lovino very well.."she said doubtfully.

"They're dating,"Feliciano replied.

"Oh."

Ludwig glowered at Emiliana at that. He didn't like the tone she had. "And there is nothing wrong with that, because Antonio loves him to death. And Lovi loves him too."he pointed out. "They're happy together. They care for one another."

Emiliana looked back at him for a long moment. "That doesn't make anything _right_, though, does it?"

Lovino came back right about then and stopped dead in his tracks.

Feliciano glared at her. "It's not wrong! He's happy! He was miserable before. And Toni's so nice and a gentleman."

Lovino shook his head. "Don't bother Feli."he said, his voice emotionless and cold. "Let her think what she wants."

Emiliana turned to look at Lovino, going to speak to him.

Lovino shook his head. "Don't bother, mother. I'll call in and tell my boss I'll be late. I'll be gone this evening. As will Feli. I don't want him around a fucking bigot."

"Watch your language,"Emiliana told him.

Lovino clenched a fist closed tightly. "Fuck you."he said before grabbing his jacket and bookbag and leaving.

Antonio jumped up, disappearing to get changed before grabbing his own jacket and bag and taking off after the Italian.

Francis frowned slightly. "And here comes another breakdown."he grumbled.

Gilbert nodded in agreement.

Matthew was glaring at Emiliana darkly. He pushed himself up and moved to stand in front of her. "You have no right to judge anyone. You _left _both Feliciano and Lovino. Lovi has abandonment issues because of you, and you dare say anything when he's finally opening up to someone who would give their lives for him?"he asked, voice very quiet. Would you do the same thing to Feliciano?"

"No. Because Feli would never - "Emiliana started, but Feliciano cut her off.

"Actually, I do have a _boyfriend._"he said. "Ludwig and me have been together since the beginning of the school year."

Emiliana didn't say anything.

Matthew raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Aren't you proud of your sons?"he asked. "Fighting for each other and sticking by those they care about when things get tough, though?"

No response.

"That's what I thought."

Once the group got to school, Feliciano gave his brother a tight hug.

Lovino, who had been sobbing into Antonio's chest, returned this embrace and refused to let go of his brother.

Vash frowned in confusion when Roderich and him came upon this scene that morning. "What's going on?"

Feliciano shook his head slightly, rubbing Lovino's back gently.

Francis spoke. "Their mom doesn't approve of them being gay,"he answered.

Vash gave his brothers a look before he turned around and headed outside to make a call.

As soon as he came back inside, he nodded and spoke softly. "Feli, Lovi, you two are to come stay with Roderich and me for a while, okay?"he said, kneeling down beside the two Italian.

Lovino finally released Feliciano and dried his eyes. He nodded and gave Vash a hug before settling down beside Antonio again, eyes downcast.

Feliciano frowned at his elder brother before he nodded and met Vash's eyes. "Thank you."

Vash shrugged.

Needless to say, that morning was one of the most emotional ones for the group in a while.

Lovino never looked up to meet anyone's eyes. He didn't respond to Antonio's gentle touches or words. He didn't join the conversations around him.

Vash frowned. He could see how much it was killing Lovino on the inside, to be rejected by his mother for who he is.

_Things are going to get better, I promise, Lovino. I promise. _

**Don't kill me, please...**

**And by the way, yes that does happen. Quite often. In fact, everyone in my family but my mom has outright told me they'd rather me be dead than les or bi. I'm bi. And I'm out to them. Fuck, it sucks.**

**Anyway...**


	80. Chapter 80

**AN: Here's the new chapter for you guys.**

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: ...I figured as much. But still..might as well make it realistic, right? And hey, if they don't like it, oh well. I don't like bigots.**

**ThatRandomReview: Let's **_**not **_**do that just yet.**

**Penguin Braginski: Exactly my thoughts! If you don't like it, don't watch. I mean, damn.. And the LGBT community is one of the strongest, thanks to all those bigots. It's fine. I've said much worse in a rant at school in drama class..around my teacher.**

**SilenceOfCrimsonSnow: Yeah. My cosplay group finally asked me the day before the Day of Silence. They knew I was supportive of LGBT rights and everything. So our Canada asked me what my sexual orientation was, and I told them..so..it felt nice to let them know. I will say one thing, by coming out..that's the strongest thing you can ever do. Because you do risk rejection, but you finally get to show who you really are in full. If people don't like that, they never truly liked you, because they didn't know the true you. Thanks. I love that quote! I read that in some Harry Potter fanfiction. Cub, I think it was. You should check it out if you're a Harry Potter fan. **

**DarkestDangel: Indeed. Why do you ask?**

**Adventure515: (Chapter 50) Yes, I do cosplay as England in my group unless I get requested to do otherwise. And that really depends on the storyline for the cosplay skit, honestly. I'm glad you like the story! **

**Evelynyamine: I plan on it.**

**Enjoy.**

"He's alright. He's hanging out in the auditorium for a while. Just wants to be alone,"Matthew told the others when he came in late from figuring out where Lovino was. "He has a lot to work through,"

Vash nodded and went back to the conversation he was having with Lovino's boss about what had gone on. He'd called ahead to let him know to keep an eye on Lovino just in case.

Feliciano remained relatively silent throughout lunch as well.

Gilbert decidedhe'd had enough of the quiet after a while and spoke. "Alright, can we please talk about this and get past it?"he asked.

Feliciano looked over at him in silence.

"I get it, honestly, I do. But why the hell are you and Lovi letting it get to you so much?"Gilbert asked.

Lovino's voice sounded from nearby. "Because. She's the only parental figure we have left who even halfway cared."he said. "It would've been nice to have someone who was willing to accept you as you are. Nonno was always very accepting. He was the first person Feli and me ever told about being gay. And he just blinked at us and replied with an, 'okay, what do you guys want for dinner?'."

Feliciano nodded quietly. "Yeah..I wouldn't've minded if she was hesitant, but to outright say that she doesn't accept it, that fact that she won't even try.."he said. "I'm just more upset that she turned Lovino away like she did. He's been through so much, and she knows about it..and yet the minute she finds out that he's with another guy, completely forgetting that Toni's the one who basically kept him from fucking killing himself...she just..."  
Lovino sat down quietly and looked at Feliciano. "Did she say anything to you?"

"No."

Their day just really didn't go over too well. It was far too hard for them to act like they normally did after the scene that morning.

After school, Antonio came up behind Lovino and wrapped his arms tightly around him. "Te amo, cariño."he said quietly.

Lovino smiled softly, the first time all day, then turned in Antonio's arms to face him. "Anche io ti amo.""he replied.

Antonio grinned, leaning down to steal a kiss from Lovino.

Francis smiled faintly at this scene. "Oi, you two, enough cute."

Lovino pulled back and flipped Francis off.

This got a few laughs.

Ludwig blinked from where him and Feliciano had just showed up. "What did we just walk in on?"

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Francis must be getting sick, West, he basically told Tonio and Lovi that he didn't want to see any lovey-dovey stuff. Lovino just responded as always."

Ludwig half smiled in understanding and settled down on the grass, drawing a book from his bag to read.

Feliciano smiled and settled down against the german's side.

The soft chatter and laughter within the group was a nice change from the tense atmosphere that had been there earlier.

Antonio glanced at his watch. "We should probably get going,"he said, looking at Lovino. "You do have work this evening, after all."  
Lovino sighed. "Oh, fun. Socializing with a bunch of strangers."he grumbled, but nodded.

As the group walked towards Antonio's, things settled down a good bit, into their normal routine.

**Here ya go, loves.**


	81. Chapter 81

**AN: So..here's a new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: ...nicely put.**

**DarkestDangel: Hm...I believe I could use that idea and kinda twist it..**

**Evelynyamine: You'll see. I promise.**

**Guest: (Chapter 79) I wouldn't count on that. I know, that was my first thought too. Just...my 'sister' just had a kid a few months ago and you want to yell at me for liking other girls? Damn, how fucked up are you in the head? That's what I wanted to say. Mind, what I did say so I didn't get killed or thrown out on my arse was just 'yeah, sure'.**

**Penguin Braginski: Yeah, I get it. Completely. Hetalia got me be this active in the LGBT community. And..yeah, France is alright. His reasoning will come into play soon, I promise.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino seemed exhausted when he came back from work. He immediately collapsed as soon as he'd gotten changed and made it back to the living room of Antonio's home.

Antonio smiled faintly, running his fingers through the Italian's hair gently.

It didn't take long for Lovino to fall asleep after that and Feliciano sighed. "I don't understand how he can manage to go through all of this crap and still be so together."he said after Lovino had gone to sleep.

Ludwig half smiled. "He's strong."he said softly. "I'd suppose he's gotten used to it."

The following day was quiet, but a lot happier. At least, until the group got to the Vargas home. Emiliana wasn't there when they arrived, so they were okay to joke around a bit more.

Lovino was napping lightly with his head resting in Antonio's lap when Emiliana came home. She gave the group a searching look before disappearing into the kitchen.

Antonio rolled his eyes, sharing a look with Gilbert and Francis before he moved to shift. The moment he did, though, he managed to hit Lovino's curl and cursed silently when the Italian woke up. "Hm?"he asked. "What?"

Antonio shook his head. "Nothing. Go back to sleep,"he said quietly.

Lovino half smiled, mumbling a quiet 'love you' before he shifted slightly and went back to his nap.

Feliciano smiled softly. "That's the calmest reaction to someone messing with his curl he's ever had."he said softly.

Matthew shushed him half-heartedly. It was nice to see Lovino not snap at Antonio for a change. It was a rare occurance.

After a long while, Emiliana returned to the room, taking a seat away from the group in silence, a book in hand.

Silence fell for a while, only broken by the soft whispers going between Francis and Gilbert as they planned something out.

Not long after that stopped, Lovino let out a pained whisper, gaining quite a few worried looks. Even Emiliana looked up to frown at her eldest son in concern. Antonio ran his hand through Lovino's hair gently. "Lovi..?"he asked quietly.

Lovino blinked his eyes open not long after that, tense until he took in his surroundings. Once he realized where he was again, he let out a sigh and relaxed, pushing himself up.

"You okay, Lovino?"Emiliana asked softly.

Lovino nodded, but the way he didn't look at anyone and the way he was shaking said otherwise.

Vash huffed. "Alright, you, up."he said, getting up himself and moving to wait by the door. "I have a few questions that I know you won't answer, we're going to go pay Raivis a visit."

"No."Lovino said. "Don't bring those memories back up for him. He doesn't need that."

Antonio sighed. "Fine.."he said quietly. "Then how about you drink some chamomile tea or something, hm?"he asked. "It'll sooth you nerves."

Lovino shook his head, getting up and disappearing from the room in silence.

Feliciano watched him go before he smiled faintly. "He has his own methods,"he said when Antonio looked after Lovino in concern. "His music? The reason he used to not let people hear is because he always used it as his medicine for difficult times. It's always been one of his biggest passions."

"That and gardening."Emiliana said softly, closing her book. "I remember he was always helping out in the garden when he was around five or six."

Feliciano nodded. "That's where his love for tomatoes comes from."

Antonio smiled faintly. "I was wondering..."

Emiliana looked up towards the hall when she heard music being played. She smiled faintly. "He's gotten better...and switched instruments."

Feliciano nodded. "He never really liked piano, always said it was too soft. So, he switched to guitar, then to bass, then back to guitar."he said softly.

Antonio chuckled. "He used to play piano?"he asked, eyes sparkling.

"He did,"Matthew said softly. "He used to play for Alfred and me a lot when we were younger, if we stayed over here while our parents were fighting because we both got a bit...fussy."

Antonio smiled softly. "Well..he's never told me about that. He told me he liked music, sure, but..."

Gilbert smiled. "He's closed off about it."

Antonio nodded.

Emiliana was examining Antonio. "You really do love Lovino, don't you?"she said softly, her voice quiet. Everyone fell silent then.

Antonio looked up and met her eyes. "Yes, ma'am. I do love him."he responded. "I'd do anything for him. And Ludwig's the same with Feliciano."

Emiliana turned her gaze to Ludwig, who had been brushing Feliciano's shirt off so that it wasn't covered in dirt from lounging against the couch.

A long moment of silence passed before Emiliana sighed. "Okay fine. But if either of you hurt one of my boys..."she warned.

Vash grinned. "Oh, they won't be living. I've already told them both that. Lovi and Feli are my brothers, nobody's going to hurt them."

Nobody argued against that. They knew it was true.

**Here you go.**


	82. Chapter 82

**AN: Here's the new chapter, loves.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Yeah..**

**Penguin Braginski: It happens like that a lot of times..so..**

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, there's something I'm going to do with this..but I have to set it up first.**

**DarkestDangel: Welcome!**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino didn't return to the living room for a long while. When he had been in his room for an hour, Emiliana got up to go check on him.

Still, she came back a few moments later and sighed, looking at Antonio. "So, you know his past?"he asked.

Ludwig spoke softly. "This entire group knows his past, actually. We kinda got pulled into it not long ago when he tried to get out of it.."

Emiliana tilted her head. "The mafia? He's still alive, but he pulled out of the mafia?"

"Yes, ma'am."Ludwig said. "The last time that someone showed up to take care of 'unfinished business' with Lovi..which I don't even want to fathom, that person got shot."

Antonio spoke up then. "He told Vash, Gil and Ludwig to get the other people out of the restruant, and then he handled the situation. Ludwig got a gun pointed at him, and...it just...Lovino resorted back to some submissive persona and let Ludwig get Feliciano and get out before he continued."he finished, letting the German relax a bit again.

Emiliana nodded. "And then..."

Vash spoke. "Then, Raivis also pulled out of the group, and is now doing a lot better. Not as scared anymore."

Feliciano let the silence reign before he offered a new topic. "Mom, you should've seen Lovi at Halloween! We got him to dress up as a Fallen angel!"he said softly. "And he still wears the wings every so often."

Emiliana tilted her head before she smiled. "Fallen angel, huh?"she said. "I guess that's pretty accurate."

Vash laughed softly. "And it only took, what two months...?"he trailed, looking at Antonio, who nodded. So he continued. "It only took two months for Toni to convince Lovi that he was most definitely similar to an angel."

"He still doesn't think he's an angel of any sort,"Matthew offered. "But he doesn't fight back if Toni calls him an angel."

"Of course I don't."

Lovino smiled as he sat back down beside Antonio. "I may not be an angel, but..."

"You're my angel,"Antonio commented softly, smiling at the Italian.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "But I hated fighting over it, so...I just let him call me an angel if he wants, it's not worth fighting over."

Emiliana half smiled faintly before she spoke. "Fair enough, I suppose."she said softly. "Though I do have another question. Lovino..if I were to get a garden started here, would you help out with it?"

"Sure,"Lovino said softly, smiling faintly. "I kinda miss it."

Emiliana nodded and let silence fall again.

Vash spoke up after his phone went off. He scowled slightly, then looked up at Lovino. "You wouldn't mind babysitting too much, right, Lovi? Roderich's parents can't watch Lili this evening..at least, not late."

Lovino grinned. "Bring her over,"he said. "I'm sure we could find something for her to do without getting hurt,"

Emiliana blinked at them, but Vash turned and left, so she didn't get her answer.

Vash came back about a half hour later, Lili at his side.

The eight year old gave Feliciano a hug before she headed over and gave Lovino a tight hug.

Lovino grinned and ruffled her hair softly. "Hey there, kiddo."he said.

Vash spoke softly. "I gotta get going, but..I'll be back in a few hours, I promise. Thanks, Lovi."he said, then disappeared from the house.

Lovino rolled his eyes and combed his fingers through Lili's hair before pulling her to sit down on his lap so he could fix her hair so it was out of her face.

As soon as he finished the braiding, he let her get up and wander around if she wanted.

She didn't venture too far.

She went over to Matthew and peered over his shoulder at what he was reading through.

Lovino kept an eye on her until she stopped by Matthew. He knew she'd be safe with him.

Emiliana watched this exchange in silence. Then she spoke. "So..."

Lovino looked over at her, catching her look of confusion before he spoke. "Lili is Vash's little sister. And..well, Vash recently adopted Feli and me as brothers, so I guess she's kinda our little sister as well. I like looking after her. She's sweet."

Emiliana nodded in understanding.

After a while, thunder started up and Lili immediately shot over to Lovino, who caught her and leaned against Antonio gently.

Antonio half smiled and looked up at Francis. "Pass me that blanket behind you, mi amigo."he said softly.

Francis looked behind him and grabbed the blanket, passing it to the Spaniard, who threw it over Lili and Lovino, who rolled his eyes. Antonio only smiled and kissed Lovino's cheek before he settled back down.

Lovino half smiled and let Lili curl up against him and go to sleep. He knew she didn't like storms. She tended to sleep through them as long as she had someone with her.

Vash came in to this scene not even an hour later. He half smiled when he noticed that Lili was asleep and Lovino was talking quietly to Antonio about something. Everyone else was engaged in their own conversations.

Vash half smiled and joined the group in silence.

Lovino gave him a soft smile, but didn't go to wake Lili, not wanting the eight year old mad at him.

**Here you go, loves. **


	83. Chapter 83

**AN: Here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Lili is precious. And Lovi is a good 'mama'. He might not agree with that, but he is!**

**ThatRandomReview: Well..it's not that..it's just, Lili would tell on him, and he doesn't want Vash after his head. **

**Penguin Braginski: I'm glad you liked it, I guess!**

**Evelylamine: It was..**

**Enjoy.**

Things were pretty calm until Lili started whimpering. Lovino dropped his conversation and woke her up before Vash could move to see what was going on.

As soon as Lili was awake, Lovino spoke softly to her. "It's okay, sweetie, it's just a bad dream. It's not real."he murmured softly. But still, it echoed in the silence of the room.

Antonio half smiled. He'd always liked that Lovino was good with kids from what he'd got to see. Vash caught his gaze and he could tell that they both found it cute.

Vash grinned and spoke when Lili had gone back to sleep in Lovino's arms. "You know, Lovi..you'd be a good parent someday."he said softly.

Lovino looked up at Vash and shook his head. "Highly doubtful,"he countered.

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, I've watched you interact with Lili and your boss's kid before, as well as random kids looking for their parents at the park. You're wonderful with children, Lovi, and you would make a good parent."

"I lose my temper to easily,"Lovino pointed out. "So no, I wouldn't be."

Antonio chuckled and spoke. "You don't lose your temper often. You do that to keep yourself from getting hurt, normally."he countered.

Lovino huffed and let it drop so he didn't wake Lili up, gaining a knowing look from Vash.

That night was rather calm. Vash took Lili back home and let the group get settled down. Lovino ended up falling asleep with his head on Antonio's shoulder shortly after, gaining a few soft smiles.

Antonio woke him back up so he could go get changed for bed.

As soon as Lovino came back after getting changed, he was content to go back to sleep, so Antonio let him be.

Nobody disturbed the Italian, knowing he was tired. They knew he hadn't really gotten any rest due to the constant nightmares he'd had.

For the first time in a while, Lovino actually slept peacefully. It was almost like it had been when Antonio and him had first gotten together.

The following morning, Antonio woke up to see Lovino still asleep and half smiled. He knew that they didn't have to get up for a while. He was so glad for the early weekend. But he also knew Lovino had work. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall nearby before looking at Lovino. He sighed and woke him up quietly. "Lovi, wake up. You have to get ready for work,"

Lovino lifted his head up, looking at the Spaniard through half-open eyes. "Don't wanna."he mumbled, laying his head back down.

"You have to."Antonio said, pushing at one of Lovino's shoulders.

Lovino sighed and kissed Antonio's cheek before he got up and set about getting ready for work.

Antonio got up after Lovino disappeared and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He knew he wasn't getting back to sleep.

Feliciano's phone went off before Lovino left and woke the younger Italian up, along with everyone else in the room.

"Cut the damn thing off, Feli."Gilbert grumbled tiredly. "It's too early to be on the phone."

Feliciano rolled his eyes, yawning as he answered the phone. He instantly perked up. "Hey! Thanks for calling! What's going on?"

The others gave him an odd look. Feliciano looked up at his brother for a moment before he spoke into the phone. "Sure, I'll ask. He's about to leave for work, though, so..."

Feliciano didn't finish, instead, he listened closely to what was said. Soon after he pulled the phone away from his ear and spoke to Lovino. "The drama teacher wants to know if you'd be willing to help us with an anti-bullying thing at school in a couple weeks, Lovi."

"Like it'll do much good? Sure, I'll help."Lovino said. "It's about time someone decided enough was enough and attempted to do something about it. Now, I have to go before I'm late,"

With that, Lovino disappeared, and Feliciano finished his conversation on the phone quickly.

That day went by rather slowly for the group. Lovino was pretty happy when he came home from work.

Francis seemed to notice the fact that Lovino was much happier than normal, because he spoke up. "What's got you so happy, mon ami?"he asked.

"Nothing..just.."Lovino said softly, pausing before he continued. "While some of us were on break, we had a mini jam session for the customers. It was fun, and it didn't hurt that it was the punk-alternative type music, either."

Francis looked at Gilbert and huffed. "You've ruined his taste in music, Gilbert."

Gilbert shrugged. "That genre has some good artists who cover very contriversal topics where every other genre plays it safe."

"Which sucks ass."Lovino finished, disappearing to get changed.

Antonio rolled his eyes. He should have expected something like this.

**Here you go. Also..go watch the video for Re-Education Through Labor by Rise Against. You'll understand the end then. **


	84. Chapter 84

**AN: Here's the new chapter, loves.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, I quite like the mama!Lovi thing..it just..it seems like he would be awesome with kids. And Gil..well..he's just doing what he's best at.**

**Evelynyamine: Yes, things are settling back down. As of right now, I don't really have much up my sleeve. Yet.**

**Enjoy.**

The group was rather calm, Lovino noticed. It was different. But still, they had managed to go out to the park for a while that morning, so they were all having had been a while since they ventured out like this just for fun. Lovino was keeping a careful eye on Feliciano, who was climbing in a tree nearby. Ludwig was with him, but still... Better safe than sorry.

Antonio wasn't there. He had been called away for a while due to a family emergency. He wasn't even in town anymore. Lovino missed having him around, because he was always happy go lucky. The fact that the Spaniard wasn't there did put a damper on Lovino's mood. He'd looked forward to spending some time with him, just goofing off that day.

Lovino was wearing one of Antonio's jackets. It still smelled exactly like Antonio, though Lovino knew it hadn't been worn in a long time from what he'd been told by the Spaniard. Gilbert moved to stand with Lovino after a while. "Might as well have a bit of fun, Lovi. He'll come back when he can. He'll be mad if you close yourself off due to him leaving."

"I know." _That doesn't mean anything to me. _Lovino added silently. _People have told Feli and me they'd come back before..and they've never come back since._

Gilbert sighed. "Lovino, I mean it. He's coming back. He loves you too much to just disappear completely. Quit letting those fucking idiots in the past hurt ya, man. They don't deserve it."

Lovino looked over to the prussian and half smiled. "Yeah, yeah. I'm heading home. I don't want Feli wondering what's going on. 'Sides, I got work today, I gotta go."

Gilbert frowned, but let the Italian walk away.

Work was slow. Lovino wasn't too happy about that. He still had Antonio's jacket with him. It was tied around his waist to keep it out of the way as he did his job. A few of the regulars who'd gotten used to seeing Antonio showing up at Lovino's break to spend time with him questioned him. Lovino gave the same answer every time. But it didn't help him. It was really lowering his hope. So many people had noticed, and Lovino knew that to always be the final goodbye for people in the past when it came to him.

When his shift ended, he was about to walk home when the door opened.

Antonio stood there, smiling softly. "Ready to go?"he asked.

Lovino blinked at the Spaniard for a moment before he shot to him and gave him a tight hug. "Toni!"he said, gaining a soft laugh.

"Were you really that worried that I wasn't coming home?"Antonio asked.

Lovino frowned, pulling back to give him a questioning look.

"Gil told me as soon as I got home."

Lovino gave a sheepish smile and nodded. As such, Antonio smiled faintly. "I'd never just leave and stay gone. Not by choice. I'd do it to keep you safe, but...hell, any other time? Fuck no."

Lovino smiled again and gave Antonio another tight hug before allowing him to lead him out.

Things settled down after that point. Gilbert gave Lovino an 'I told you so' look when he entered from work. But he said nothing.

Feliciano grinned brightly at Lovino. "Fratello! Come help me with dinner!"

Lovino half smiled and let his younger brother pull him into the kitchen.

Throughout dinner, things remained calm.

Afterwards, Feliciano decided he wanted to play and pulled Lovino into it as well. The others watched in amusement as the two brothers ran through the house. It was a funny scene for them. Feliciano enjoyed it. He was still laughing when he sat down beside Ludwig. Lovino wasn't as happy. He huffed and glared at his brother as he caught his breath after plopping down beside Antonio.

Antonio intervened. "Oh, chill out, Lovi. Feli was only wanting a bit of fun."he said softly.

Lovino grumbled under his breath, but settled down anyways.

Argument avoided, the entire group settled down for the night.

**Here ya go, guys.**


	85. Chapter 85

**AN: **

**Here ya go, guys.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, Lovi did miss Toni. **

**Evelynyamine: I'm glad you find it adorable. And..well, I guess I could put a warning for the massive amounts of fluff in this...**

**ThatRandomReview: Yeah, that happens. **

**Enjoy.**

Feliciano kept them up to explain the plan they had for school that week. "A lot of people are going in tomorrow to put up posters and stuff around the school about bullying. Actually..we still need some."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Get me some paper and a marker and tell me what you're wanting. I got it,"

Feliciano did just that as Lovino pushed himself up from where he'd been leaning against Antonio. Emiliana had paused to watch the group interact.

Once Feliciano gave Lovino the paper and markers, he spoke softly as he sat down. "You remember that old rhyme we heard in elementary school?"

Lovino raised an eyebrow. "What? 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me'?"he asked.

Feliciano nodded.

Lovino got where he was going with it and tilted his head. "Hm...Let's see how many people we can catch with these."he said, a mischievious grin showing up. With that, he said nothing more to anyone, getting to work on the posters. He showed the one he was working on to Feliciano when he finished, gaining a grin as Feliciano took the poster and examined it closely.

He smiled softly when he finished. "This is brilliant."

"There's a large variety of insults here, Lovi.."Gilbert said as he glanced at the poster over Feliciano's shoulder.

Lovino shrugged. "I've heard them all in some way. I know others have heard them as well."

Nobody questioned him as he got to work on different posters.

Not even an hour later, Feliciano had a stack of posters, all of them different.

Feliciano tilted his head. "You guys want to go help put them up tomorrow?"

Lovino looked at the others before he spoke. "I'm game."

Antonio shrugged. "I'll go."

Ludwig nodded in agreement.

Silence reigned as everyone got ready for bed. That night was quiet, calm.

The four who ended up going got there early and Lovino immediately went to the auditorium, where they were all supposed to meet. Even the drama and art teachers hadn't showed up yet. As such, the first thing Lovino did was climb onstage and hook up an electric guitar. He ignored the questioning looks he got as he started playing. Feliciano raised an eyebrow. He wasn't used to hearing Lovino play something like this.

The others started drifting in in the middle of this.

As soon as Lovino stopped playing and unhooked the guitar, he noticed the others and gave a sheepish smile, setting the guitar aside again before he went to join them.

It took an hour to put all of the posters up, but it was worth it. It was well worth it.

Lovino exchanged a look with Feliciano before he hugged his little brother and disappeared from sight.

Antonio rolled his eyes and gave Feliciano a soft smile before going after Lovino, catching up with him shortly after.

When Antonio caught up with Lovino, it was to see the elder Italian frowning. "What's the matter?"  
"This isn't going to help."Lovino said. "..it never does."

"You don't know that."

Lovino looked at Antonio before he sighed. "Listen, Toni..until I see it work, I'm not going to be convinced. Don't fight with me over this. Please."

Antonio sighed. "Fine."he said softly, catching Lovino's lips in a soft kiss before he spoke. "How about we get home?"

Lovino nodded quietly.

And so, they stayed quiet as they walked to the Vargas household. At one point, Antonio started joking, making Lovino relax and start laughing.

It was a nice sound for Antonio to hear, especially knowing that it was helping Lovino relax.

And to do that, Antonio would do anything.

**Here you go, loves. **


	86. Chapter 86

**AN: Hey!**

**Here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: I know..we did a similar thing at my school and it just...made things **_**worse.**_

**Penguin Braginski: Yeah. Lovi has been through hell and back. Toni knows that, and that's why he's so good at keeping Lovi in the present and pretty happy.**

**Enjoy.**

The moment the group walked into the school, Lovino felt the change in the air. He looked around hesitantly, tensed up horribly and feeling ready to bolt. He allowed Antonio to lead him to the auditorium. Everyone who had put posters up or who were helping by doing something that week were going to meet that morning inside the auditorium.

Lovino looked at Feliciano. "We just signed our death wish."he said.

Feliciano, who had started tugging at the end of his shirt nervously the minute the minute they'd entered the school, met his brother's eyes and nodded. 'Yeah..seems like it."

Emil grinned at the two from where he was standing, talking with Kaoru nearby. "Feli, Lovi!"he greeted, pulling Kaoru over to the group. "What's got you two so worked up?"

Antonio spoke when neither of the Italians did. "They're worried about the chance of backfire."  
Emil's grin fell and he looked at Antonio for a moment before looking between Feliciano and Lovino. "Pessimistic. Both of you. Have a little faith,"

Lovino met Emil's eyes evenly. "I don't know the meaning of that word. Not anymore."

Emil winced, taking a step back. "Sorry, Lovi. I forgot...just...this is going to work."

Antonio looked sideways at Lovino before he drug the Italian to the stage.

Raivis came in then with someone Lovino knew pretty well from his time in the mafia. It was another inductee. One of the ones he'd been close friends with.

Antonio handed Lovino an acoustic guitar and gave him a look. "Stop thinking so much, and play something. Offer a distraction for those who doubt it'll work. Just...you're overthinking, and it's going to hurt you."he said.

Lovino took the guitar and nodded, sitting on the edge of the stage. People were drifting in and out. Their meeting wasn't until the beginning of first block, which they'd all been excused from.

He sighed and met Raivis's eyes before he signed something out to him and started playing.

"_Don't try to explain your mind, I know what's happening here. One minute it's love, then suddenly it's like a battlefield. One word turns into a war, why is it the smallest things that tear us down? My world's nothing when you're gone, I'm out here without a shield, can't go back now. Both hands tied behind my back for nothing...these times when we climb so fast to fall again. Why we gotta fall for it now?"_

Antonio had stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Lovino start playing that song.

Raivis frowned, pulling the other male down, seeming ready to intervene. He knew the meaning Lovino was putting in this. Still, Lovino stopped before he got himself into trouble with himself. He didn't want those old memories. He just wanted to know if they remembered.

He looked up and Raivis nodded once, signalling for Lovino to move on.

After a long moment of thought, Lovino started playing another song. He didn't sing, but the newcomer did, making the Italian look at him in surprise.

"_So lately, been wondering, who will be there to take my place? When I'm gone, you'll need love to light the shadows on your face. If a great wave shall fall, and fall upon us all, then between the sand and stone, could you make it on you own? If I could then I would, I'll go wherever you will go, way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go."_

_**Lovino blinked in surprise. **_

_**"No! I don't care! I promised I'd stick by you when you got pulled into this fucking bullshit, Romano. I'm going to keep that promise, damn it!"**_

Lovino shook his head to clear the memory and let his eyes meet Raivis's for a moment before he looked at the newcomer.

_"And maybe, I'll find out a way to make it back someday..to watch you, to guide you, through the darkest of your days. If a great wave shall fall, yeah and fall upon us all, then I hope there's someone out there who could bring me back to you."_

Lovino frowned slightly, looking back down at the guitar.

"_I know now, just quite how, my life and love might still go on...in your heart, in your mind, I'll stay with you for all of time. ...If I could turn back time, I'd go wherever you will go."_

The singing stopped there and Lovino finished the song out, eyes clenched shut against the memories that hit him.

Antonio watched Lovino in concern for a moment. He wasn't sure what was going on.

_Tears streamed down Lovino's face. He couldn't believe what he'd just gone through and witnessed. He felt a gentle arm snake around him, leading him out of the building, out to the park. His safe place. As soon as they stopped, Lovino collapsed onto the ground in tears. He couldn't do anything else. _

_"I'll call Vash to come get you,"_

_Then footsteps._

_Vash showed up with Lili at his side not even ten minutes later. "Lovi!"he cried in shock, dropping to his knees beside his 'brother'. "What happened to you, kid?"_

_Lili went to hug Lovino, but he whined and backed away from both of them. _

_Vash let his eyes meet a stranger's for the first time. "What happened?"he asked, voice hard._

_"...it's not my story to tell, I'm not going to betray his trust. But..he's going to need help, I'll say that much."_

_Vash sighed, looking back to Lovino. "C'mon, bruder, let's get you home to Feli. He's worried sick about you, as is your nonno."_

_Lovino allowed himself to be pulled to his feet and guided._

Raivis moved forward as soon as Lovino started shaking and moved the guitar, pulling Lovino down off stage and guiding him to a seat before kneeling in front of him. "Lovi, snap outta it, man."

Lovino met his eyes, but Raivis could tell he was still stuck in his memory.

Antonio moved closer, raising an eyebrow. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Go get Vash."Raivis said quickly.

Antonio nodded and rushed off to find the Swiss. He returned minutes later with Vash following.

Vash immediately took over from Raivis, quickly snapping Lovino out of the memory. When Lovino collapsed into Vash's arms, the Swiss sighed. "You gotta stop letting them fucking rule you, Lovi. You're safe. You're done."

Antonio tilted his head before sitting down beside Lovino, who blinked at him. He didn't say anything, just let Lovino curl up against him once he'd calmed down again.

Vash nodded and disappeared again, stopping to tell Feliciano something.

Raivis smiled softly at the scene.

Then a new voice filtered through the silence in the grouping. "Hey, Roma, remember me?"  
Lovino looked up and half smiled. "Hey, Tor."he said quietly. "Nice to see you again,"

Toris shrugged. "Raiv told me that you'd got out."

Lovino smirked. "Yeah, I did. Only took a month or two of constant fear for my life to do."

Toris rolled his eyes. "And they were about to let you go, too. That's what they did to me. They got newbies now. Kinda feel bad for them."

Lovino winced. "Poor guys.."

Antonio frowned, but said nothing.

Toris looked at Antonio before looking to Lovino and raising an eyebrow. "Gonna introduce me, Romano? Or are ya gonna be as rude as ya used to be?"  
Lovino rolled his eyes. "It's Lovino, now, actually. And Toris, this is my boyfriend, Antonio. Toni, this is one of my old friends, Toris."he said softly.

Antonio gave a faint smile in greeting, glancing back when he heard Gilbert call out.  
"Toni! Get your ass up here. We gotta talk,"

Antonio huffed and gave Lovino a pleading look.

"Hey, if you wanna, go ahead and cuff him upside the head. Don't kill him, though. He's useful. Sides...we'll leave that pleasure to Alfred if he ever hurts Matt, right?"

Antonio nodded and got up, disappearing to talk with the others.  
Raivis raised an eyebrow. "So Gil and Matt are still going good?"he asked.

Lovino nodded. "Yeah. They're sweet."

Toris stayed out of it, venturing off to explore. Raivis rolled his eyes. "I gotta go, Lovi."

Lovino nodded in understanding and let himself relax.

He hoped the day would get better from here.

**Here ya go guys. Sorry it took all day to type it. I got a bit wrote and then got distracted by Harvest Moon: Magical Melodies. That's where my day went..where my whole weekend went, actually.**


	87. Chapter 87

**AN: Hey.**

**Here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Yeah he is. Slowly.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino was content with how the day turned out. Nothing too harsh was thrown, and he managed to get through the day without another memory hitting him.

As soon as Lovino joined the group outside after school, Feliciano spoke up. "Lovi!"

Lovino found himself being clung to as his brother cried. He didn't even really understand that his brother was crying until he felt the dampness against his neck. He frowned. "What's wrong, Feli?"he asked.

Feliciano didn't answer, so Ludwig spoke up. "One of the jocks in his last block got to harrassing him about something. He'd never tell me what, but..."

Lovino's eyes darkened. "Did he say who?"

Ludwig shook his head. "Same one that used to harrass him is all I know."

"I know who it is. Get him and keep him here with you, I'll be back."Lovino said, pushing Feliciano away from himself and leading him to Ludwig, who immediately drew the crying Italian to him.

Ludwig looked at Lovino before he spoke. "Be careful, Lovino. It'd kill him if something happened to you."

Lovino nodded and disappeared inside again.

Vash frowned when Lovino stormed past him, then sighed when he noticed Feliciano crying. "I don't even want to know..."he said, shaking his head.

Ludwig shook his head, going back to trying to sooth Feliciano.

When Lovino didn't come back out after a while, Ludwig frowned in worry. He knew Lovino well enough to know that he would get himself killed over his brother. Toris had been with the group and glanced at his watch. "Alright, that's it, I'm going to find him. He's been in there too fucking long."

Raivis looked over at Toris before he spoke. "Hey, just don't kill anyone,"

Toris waved this off and disappeared to go find Lovino.

Not even five minutes later, Raivis's phone went off and the Latvian answered it, putting it on speaker quietly. "Hello?"

"Raiv, hall outside the library. Now. I need help with Romano."

Then the line died.  
Raivis's eyes widened slightly. He knew what that meant. They had codes worked out for each other. He dropped his things and spoke quickly. "I'll be back soon, I promise!"he said before taking off.

Feliciano watched him disappear through wet eyes.

Ludwig sighed and tightened his grip on Feliciano. He looked at his brother. "Hey, Gil? I'm gonna get Feli home, okay? Stick around till Lovi and them come back, would ya?"

"Ja, okay, get lost."Gilbert said softly. "We'll be there soon. Feli and Lovi's place, right?"

"Ja."

Gilbert nodded and Ludwig disappeared, Feliciano keeping up with him in silence.

After a while, Raivis came back and looked at the others. "Listen..we have to stick around a bit longer. You guys go ahead,"he said, gathering his things along with Toris's and Lovino's bags. "We'll catch up."

Gilbert nodded, but hesitated. "Hey, Raivis?"he said just as Raivis went to disappear again.

Raivis looked back at him in silence.

"How bad is it?"  
Raivis hesitated before he sighed. "His necklace...someone found the blade in it and got ahold of it. It's pretty bad. Tor's trained in first aid, though, so Lovi'll be alright. Don't tell Feli! Please! We're going to take care of Lovi before bringing him home."

Gilbert nodded in understanding. "Well...okay..just..be careful, all three of you."

Raivis nodded and disappeared again.

That evening, around six, Raivis and Toris showed up, Toris supporting Lovino, who was completely drained.

Feliciano gasped at the sight of his brother. The nice, almost dressy shirt that Lovino had worn that day was slashed in four places and he could see the guaze and a few minor abrasions. "Lovi!"he cried out. "What happened?!"

Lovino raised his eyes to meet Feliciano's, but said nothing until Toris had helped him sit down on the floor beside Antonio, who frowned in worry, but said nothing.

"Feli, I promise it's nothing."

Feliciano examined his brother. "Don't tell me it's nothing! Toris was having to help you walk! What did they do to you?!"

Lovino let his eyes close. He didn't want his younger brother hurt, especially because of him.

Feliciano looked to Raivis and Toris. "Is he okay?"he asked,

Raivis gave a kind smile. "He's just fine, Feliciano. Just a few cuts and bruises."

Feliciano looked back to Lovino. "Did they find the blade in your necklace?"

Lovino nodded once.  
"I thought I told you to be careful with those!"Antonio said.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Toni. It was an accident."

Feliciano moved forward and took hold of one of Lovino's hand, frowning at the guaze around it. He sighed. "You should've let it be.."

Lovino shook his head, looking up and meeting Feliciano's eyes. "Feliciano Veneziano Vargas, do not start with me. I did this because the stupid motherfucker made you _cry_. You're my brother. I'd die for you."

"You shouldn't _have _to!"

Lovino sighed. "But I want to."

Feliciano let it drop. "Fratello...can we watch a movie?"

Lovino grinned and pulled himself up. "Yeah, let's go find one."

As soon as the brothers disappeared, Antonio looked to Raivis and Toris. "How bad?"  
"Pretty bad. He'll need help with the guaze in the morning."Toris said. "Be gentle with him for a while."

Antonio nodded.

Back to how it was before.

Joy.

**Here. I feel bad for this...**


	88. Chapter 88

**AN: I have good news! This thing..I'm making side stories. For the side pairings here. The first one is GerIta and it's Strength And Survival : Changes Over Time.**

**Check it out, if you want.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I'm sorry! Trust me, something's gonna happen to them.**

**Evelynyamine: I know...**

**Penguin Braginski: Sorry..?**

**ThatRandomReview: Things are going to get better. You'll see what I'm doing soon.**

**Enjoy.**

After the others were asleep, Ludwig got to thinking. The person who'd made Feliciano cry..who'd hurt Lovino so horribly..he really needed to figure out what to do about them. He didn't want Lovino or Feliciano hurt. They both meant a lot to him and to his brother. He was sick of watching the two of them hurt.

He fell asleep as soon as he had figured out his plan. It was simple, but hopefully affective.

The following morning, he got Toris to point out who it was and disappeared when they got to school.

Feliciano seemed confused, but said nothing about it. Nobody did.

Lovino was glaring after him. He knew exactly what Ludwig was planning. And it was a suicide mission for the German. But still..he had to give him props for the guts it took to do something like this.

"Hey!"Ludwig said, pulling the jock aside. "I have a bone to pick with you."

"Really now?"

"You hurt Feli and Lovi. And you need to fix it before things turn bad."Ludwig commented, icy eyes cold.

A snort. "And what are you going to do it I don't?"  
Ludwig glared. "You don't want me on your bad side."he warned, moving to pin the other male against a wall. "You really don't. Apologize. To both of them. Then leave them the hell alone."

A nod. He knew that the other male seemed to realize where this was going and released. He turned and headed back to the group. The icy fire still in his eyes when he got there made Gilbert sigh. "Who'd you threaten?"

Ludwig looked at his brother. "Like you wouldn't've done worse."he countered, taking a seat and pulling Feliciano to him.

He'd gotten used to this.

Lovino examined the German before he sighed. "Thank you."he said.

A shrug. Then the subject was dropped.  
Antonio smiled. It seemed they were finally getting along better.

Finally.

**It's short. I know. But I'm in a rush. I have to get off the computer. Like..now.**


	89. Chapter 89

**AN: Hey, guys.**

**Here's the new chapter. Just letting you know, we do have a Germany in the cosplay group at my school now.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: He would. I'm glad it doesn't seem rushed, because I wrote it in, no joke, less than five minutes. I worried it would be rushed.**

**Penguin Braginski: Alright.**

**Spamano4ever: For his man and said man's brother. He's protective over those he cares for.**

**Enjoy.**

That morning was calm. Lunch was when things started getting a bit out of hand.

Gilbert blinked in surprise, making Lovino turn and tense up. "What the fuck do you want, bastard?"he asked.  
Feliciano glanced over as well and paled slightly. This didn't look good.

"I..." A moment's pause made Lovino narrow his eyes at the jock in front of him. "I came to apologize. To Feliciano and you."

Lovino spat at his feet and shook his head. "Don't bother. I don't forgive douchebags."

Feliciano tilted his head, examining the male before he sighed. He looked up at Feliciano in silence for a moment.

Feliciano thought it over for a moment before he spoke. "I forgive you. Just don't hurt Lovi again."

Lovino looked over at Feliciano in surprise at that, caught off guard.

A nod was all the response he got and they were left alone. Lovino examined his brother before he spoke. "Feli, it's not your job to protect me."

"Yes it is."Feliciano countered. "You've protected me your entire life, Lovi. You've nearly gotten _raped _trying to protect me. Just...let me protect you for a change."

Gilbert, who had been taking a drink of his water, spit the liquid out and blinked in surprise. "What?!"he demanded, looking between the brothers.

Lovino turned red and hid his face. "Dammit."he grumbled.

Antonio pulled the Italian to him and kissed his hair before he sighed.

Gilbert examined Lovino before he sighed. "Lovi..."

Lovino looked up at Gilbert. Then he looked to Feliciano. "I don't get it. I tried my best to make sure you were shielded from this mess.."

"I'm observant, fratello. You taught me to always be observant."Feliciano said.

Vash came up then and blinked at the tension in the group. "O-kay, what's going on here?"  
Lovino sighed, but offered a faint smile. "Good, then use that skill to keep yourself safe."he told Feli before continuing with his lunch silently.

Nobody bothered to fill Vash in. Nobody had to. They all dropped the subject, though Gilbert kept looking to Lovino like he wanted to question him and Ludwig's eyes portrayed horror at what he'd just found out. No wonder Lovino hadn't been keen on him..

Antonio didn't let go of Lovino at all after that while they were at lunch. He just felt better knowing that Lovino was safe.

Toris bounded up at the end of lunch. "Romano!"he said.

Lovino turned around immediately, making Feliciano blink in surprise. He never said anything, though.  
Toris calmed down a bit. "Oh, thank god.."he said. "Have you seen Raiv anywhere? Someone...someone stopped by earlier..and I worried something had happened to one of you."

Lovino shook his head. "I've not seen him. He's usually here with us.."he said, then seemed to realize what Toris was implying and shot up. "Fuck!"

He bolted out of the cafeteria.

Feliciano spoke softly. "What's going on?"

Toris shook his head. "Lovi and Raiv both extracted themselves. A death wish. So..we really need to find Raiv."

Feliciano nodded, so Toris left the area.

Nobody saw any of the three again that day.

Antonio had begun to worry when Lovino didn't show back up.

Vash was the one who ventured out to find the three. When he doubled back alone, the others really began worrying. Vash sighed. "C'mon,"he said, leading the others to the Vargas home quietly. He didn't answer any questions. He actually pulled his phone out and called Lovino's boss to inform him that Lovino wouldn't be in, letting him know the situation quickly as they walked. He kept a close eye on his surroundings.

As soon as he got to the Vargas home, he paused, turning to look at the group. "Ludwig, Gilbert, Antonio, I need you three to come with me. Feli, stay here with Matt and the others. I'll call soon, I promise."

Feliciano nodded, swallowing his worry in order to keep tears from showing up. "Do you guys need anything?"

Vash sighed. "You know that old trunk in your nonno's closet?"he asked.

Feliciano nodded.

"Go get that and bring it to the living room, okay?"Vash said. "And stay put. Keep your eyes open. Ludwig, Gilbert..you two need to double home to grab your guns, because this might not end well. Toni..I have an extra gun under the couch here if you want.."

Antonio shook his head. "I'd rather not...I don't like hurting others."

"Alright, then it's your job to get them the fuck away when we get them, kay?"

Antonio nodded.

After this, once they were all set, the four left. Austria showed up with Lili.

Vash made his way through the streets easily, the others lagging behind so he could lead them.

He looked back and raised a finger to his lips, drawing his own gun before he opened the door that he'd stopped at. He winced silently. He could hear who he now knew to be Raivis screaming. That sounded promising. He motioned for the two Beilschmidt brothers to get their guns ready and looked to Antonio, who was tense, but completely ready to get his job done.

Vash entered silently, following the sound until he paused in a doorway, the gun held behind him.

Lovino caught sight of him and made a signal behind the person's back in the room. Vash's eyes narrowed and he nodded. He yelled as soon as Gilbert and Ludwig made it up behind him. "Hey!"

The male looked away from the Latvian to look to Vash, who entered the room calmly. "You need to let them go."

Raivis looked at Vash, frightened tremors going through him. Antonio stayed hidden from view from the male, but Gilbert and Ludwig entered the room behind Vash, both of them with guns at the ready.

The male took in the guns before he looked to Vash. "What has this got to do with you?"

Vash paused to glance at Lovino before he spoke again. "You've got my brothers here. And you have no right to do this to them, either."

Lovino bit back the smile. The male looked at him, making him freeze. "Is this true?"

Lovino didn't meet his eyes. He knew better. He nodded once in silence.

It killed Gilbert to see his best friend acting like this.

Ludwig noticed something immediately. The blade that had been stored in Lovino's necklace charm was missing. He knew he had it behind him, ready to fight.

He knew Vash had noticed as well and said nothing.

The male looked to Vash and spoke. "And if I don't let them go?"

"Then we'll see who's still alive within five minutes of that announcement."he said.

Silence reigned for a moment before it was broken.

"Prove it."

Vash drew his gun around and cocked it. "Raivis, down!"he yelled, firing a shot as soon as the Latvian was out of the range.

Lovino closed his eyes tightly to keep from watching this.

When he opened his eyes again, it was to see that Gilbert and Ludwig had shot at the same time Vash did and the man was dead in front of Raivis.

With that known, Lovino relaxed and immediately started working on trying to unlock the cuffs binding him so he could help the others. It took him a moment before he had one of his hands free and he immediately reached over to undo Toris's while Vash undid Raivis's. After Toris was free, Lovino freed himself completely and rubbed at his now raw wrists. He glared down at the body, but did nothing.

Antonio entered the room then and Lovino immediately noticed the wide eyed expression.

Vash sighed. "Let's get you boys home and doctored up."

Nobody argued against that.

**Don't kill me for this. You'll see where I'm going with this, I promise. It'll be fluffy, I promise.**


	90. Chapter 90

**AN: Hey, guys!**

**Here's another chapter for you! And fuck, I gotta stop using country names. I slipped up with Austria. I'm not used to the human names fully yet. I'm getting there.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Yeah..**

**ThatRandomReview: And you assumed right. Toris still calls Lovi Romano because it's a habit for him. Ever since Toris knew him, he's called him Romano. It's hard to break a habit like that sometimes. He's working on it, but it's harder than it seems.**

**Evelynyamine: Yep. And it has. Slightly.**

**Enjoy!**

Vash ended up carrying Raivis back to the Vargas home because he couldn't walk very well from the shaking. As soon as they got to the door, Gilbert opened it and yelled out. "Matt, first aid kit! Now!"he said, letting the others in before he entered, closing the door behind him.

Feliciano looked at the three who'd gone missing before he collapsed against the couch.

Vash set Raivis down carefully, letting him sit down. Toris sat down beside him, but Lovino took over from Matthew when he brought the first aid kit in, ignoring the odd looks it got him. He sat down in front of the two, silently doctoring the wounds they had. Whenever one of them would let out a pained whine, he'd pause and speak softly, reassuring them that they were okay, before he continued.

As soon as they were doctored up, Lovino closed the first aid kit and put it back in the bathroom, making Vash and Antonio frown at him when he came back.

Vash spoke. "Lovi...you should at least doctor your wrists."

Lovino looked to Vash before he shook his head. "No."he said, going to sit down.

Raivis spoke up from his seat where he was shivering, curled up against Toris. "Lovino, please..take care of yourself. It's thanks to you we're still alive, even. Please?"

Lovino swallowed and sighed. "Feli, would you go fix them some chamomile tea? They need it."he said, disappearing again.

Antonio got up at the look from Toris and followed the Italian, pausing at the open bathroom door. "Need some help?"he asked.

"That'd be lovely,"Lovino said, letting Antonio enter and take the peroxide from him.

Silence reigned as Antonio took care of Lovino's wrists, being as gentle as he could. As soon as he was finished, he looked up at Lovino. "What happened?"  
Lovino met Antonio's eyes before he spoke. "Just a lot of drama. It could've been so much worse..they got ahold of Toris and Raivis..I just..I got myself involved because..otherwise, they both would've been shot dead where they stood."

Antonio nodded and sighed, drawing Lovino to him in a tight hug. "You had me so scared."

Lovino mumbled a soft sorry, but said nothing further.

Silence reigned until Antonio pulled back and lead the Italian back to the living room. Then Toris spoke. "You alright, Romano?"

Lovino frowned. "Tor...I've told you. It's Lovino."he said, seeming a bit uncomfortable. "But yeah...I'm alright. What about you and Raiv? You two okay?"

Toris glanced to Raivis, who was asleep, but still shaking. "I'm fine. Raiv..he's..."

Lovino looked at the small Latvian before he sighed. "It's a long road to recovery, but he'll manage, I promise. Just stick by him, alright?"

Toris nodded and fell silent.

That night was one of the worst for the group. Nobody got any sleep.

It wasn't a surprise.

**Here's the new chapter.**


	91. Chapter 91

**AN: Hey!**

**Here's the new chapter! **

**To those who reviewed:  
ThatRandomReview: I know, right? I'm being slowed down on my writing starting today because I have like three projects back to back in German due to us being on the food unit. Three food days. One's tomorrow. Favorite food day. I'm taking in scones. I made a bargin with my cousin, so I have to. And that is not true, I bet! Everyone's writing has good and bad points. **

**Penguin Braginski: Raivis will be okay. I promise. There's something that's going to happen that required this to happen first.**

**Enjoy.**

That morning, Lovino ignored the others once he was up. He knew none of them felt up to going back to school that day. Vash had disappeared to inform the school of what had happened, their reasons behind not showinng up.

Lovino spent his morning talking with Raivis and Toris. Nobody bothered the three. Raivis had finally calmed down enough for the shaking to stop. It allowed Toris and Lovino to relax.

Antonio came over after a while, sitting down in silence and wrapping his arms around Lovino, who gave him a soft smile before continuing with what he was saying.

That morning was quiet, almost relaxed.

Raivis spoke after a while. "Lovi..why'd you jump in like you did?"

Lovino looked up at Raivis before he spoke softly. "Because...I've been there before..and I didn't want you or Tor to go through what I did."he said. "I know you both know what all I went through. You guys...you two are still so innocent. Like Feli is. And I'd kill to keep people that way."

Raivis's eyes softened and he gave the elder Italian a hug. Lovino only pushed him back.

Toris spoke. "Why'd you go by Romano?"he asked. "Where'd that name come from?"

Lovino gave a shy smile, but didn't answer.

Feliciano butted in. "Romano's his middle name."he said. "If they weren't family, then they weren't allowed to call him Lovino or any variation of that."

Lovino shrugged when Toris gave him an understanding look.

A while later, when something triggered a memory for Raivis, Toris spoke. "Hey Rom...Lovino, think you could revert back to that old tradition we had?"he asked.

Lovino looked up and noticed Raivis's tremors and nodded, getting up and disappearing for a moment, reappearing with an acoustic. He sat down in front of the other two and looked to Raivis. He paused before he started playing another song.

Raivis perked up slightly and Vash gave a faint smile. "Really? Disney?"

Lovino pouted at his older brother. "Shut up. We started this when we were young and it's soft..it's soothing after listening to yelling and shit."

Vash nodded softly. "Still like those movies as well?"

Lovino shrugged. "Not really. I'll watch them if I must, though."

Vash nodded. "Good. I have something you can do with Lili if you ever babysit her again. She's gotten into her Disney stage."

Lovino laughed softly. "Great.."

Nobody said anything about this. Raivis cracked a smile. It had done what Lovino had wanted it to do.

**Here. I hate making scones. Never again. Ever.**


	92. Chapter 92

**AN: So...here's the new chapter. The good news is that food day today went over well. Meaning nobody got sick from my scones and I got a siesta after I ate until I felt like I was going to explode. It was awesome! Though..I had a Spaniard - one of the two Spanish teachers at my school and my homeroom teacher - ask about the scones...hm...**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: (chapter 90) I know, I know... (Chapter 91) Yeah..Lovi and Raiv are friends, so of course Lovi's going to try to cheer him up!**

**Evelynyamine: (Chapter 90) It was, huh?**

**Enjoy.**

Raivis felt a lot better after that episode. Still, he broke the calm silence again with a question. "Lovi..when we go back to school tomorrow, will you wear your angel wings?"he asked.

Lovino seemed a bit uncomfortable. "I dunno, Raiv..."

"Please, please?"Raivis asked, eyes pleading. "It fits you so well, Lovi!"

Toris grinned at Lovino. "You wear angel wings?"

"Every now and then."

Antonio laughed. "It started at Halloween. We talked him into dressing up with us and he dressed up as a Fallen angel..and it just stuck, because it does seem to fit him."

Toris examined Lovino before he grinned. "Well..if there's any sort of angel he is, it would be a Fallen. It's perfect."

Lovino stuck his tounge out, surrendering him to his fate.

As such, that morning, Lovino had Antonio help him with his wings and overshirt.

Antonio chuckled softly. "You look so cute..."

"Shut up, bastard."Lovino said, turning bright red.

As soon as Antonio stepped away, Lovino huffed, messing with the wings. "God I hate these things.."

Toris came into the room right then and paused, blinking in surprise. "Whoa.."he said. "I see why they like you to wear those. You actually do look like an angel."

"Shut up!"Lovino snapped, glowering at the ground.

Toris laughed. "No, no, it's a good thing, Lovino!"

Antonio smiled faintly. "He's still not used to people commenting on it. He doesn't fight as much if I call him an angel anymore, though..so..."

"'Cause it's not worth the fight."Lovino countered.

Feliciano grinned. "Let's go!"he said.

"Someone's happy..."Lovino grumbled.

Matthew, who had left for home as soon as he woke that morning to wake Alfed up and get ready for school at his own home for a change, joined them as they passed. Lovino grinned, waving at the woman on the porch as the two blond boys darted out to join them.

Lovino and Feliciano pulled the entire group to a stop, making a few of them look at them curiously. Matthew and Alfred shared smiles as their mother yelled out. "Hey Feli, Lovi, you two going to stop by sometime soon?"

Lovino beamed at the woman leaning against the porch. "Yes ma'am. You can expect us over soon! We'll come equipted with some food, as well."he called.

A soft laugh drifted to the group. "Get going or you'll be late boys! Have a good day."

When the group had disappeared, Matthew smiled back at Lovino. "I'm still surprised every single time you speak with our mom, Lovi. You're always so polite to her. You aren't even that polite to our teachers!"

"I'm not polite with any guys."Lovino said. "Women..different story. They have never caused me physical harm, so I feel a bit more comfortable talking politely with a girl than another guy."

Alfred laughed lightly. "Still..nobody's ever been that polite with her. It's nice. Even Dad isn't that nice to her."

"Which isn't right,"

Alfred shrugged that off, continuing. "She absolutely adores Feli and you. Lord help the bastards who fucking hurt you, Raivis and Toris if she were to find out about them."he said. "She's so very protective over you and Feli. It's like you two are sons to her."

Matthew half smiled. "It's nice..."he commented.

Nobody commented further. It wasn't necessary.

**Here ya go, guys! Now..off to watch Pocohantas.**


	93. Chapter 93

**AN: Here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Glad you think so~!**

**Enjoy.**

Matthew, Alfred, Feliciano and Lovino spent the rest of the walk to school talking about the past.

Alfred decided to speak up as soon as Matthew got finished. "Man, I remember you were so scared to come inside the first time you visited, Lovino!"

Lovino turned red. "Shut up!"

Mattew laughed lightly. "And then you were absolutely terrified when Alfred and Feli started climbing that tree in the back yard."

Lovino pouted. "Feli is not made for climbing trees. He loses his balance on the ground enough for me to know not to let him get off the ground if I can help it. And, shall I remind you that he actually did fall out of that tree as well?"

"But you caught him!"Alfred said, smiling. "No harm done. If you hadn't, it wouldn't've hurt him too much. He wasn't high up. Ma could've taken care of him!"  
Lovino huffed, letting it drop. He didn't want to argue with them.

Feliciano smiled. "It was fun."he said quietly.

Gilbert spoke softly. "I couldn't help but notice that she didn't even bat an eye at the fact that Lovi is wearing angel wings."

Matthew smiled. "That's because she always told all of us that he honestly _was _a Fallen angel. Something to do with how pure his spirit's aura is or something. I don't know, I forgot her reasoning a while back. You're more than welcome to ask her, though, if you want."

School that morning was pretty calm. Nobody messed with anyone in the group. Raivis stuck close to the others, frightened to be on his own.

At lunch, Alfred bounded over while the others were talking and butted in. "Lovi, Feli! Why don't you guys come by today? In fact, how about all you guys come by?"

Matthew spoke softly. "Alfred, you need to ask Mom before you do that!"he scolded.

"I did! I just got off the phone with her!"

Matthew sighed and let it be.

Lovino smiled softly. "I suppose so."

The rest of the day was rather slow. There were a few words thrown every so often, but it didn't honestly bother them. Not much, at least.

That evening, the group dropped their bags off at the Vargas home before doubling back and going to Matthew and Alfred's home. Matthew, Alfred, Feliciano and Lovino immediately walked in, not bothering hesitating at the door.

"Hey Mom!"Alfred and Matthew chorused, Matthew hanging his jacket on the proper hook on the wall while Alfred let his drop to the ground. Matthew picked it up and hung it up as well, giving his brother a look.

Lovino smiled softly. "Hello, Aiyana."he said, moving out of the way and motioning for the others to enter the house. Feliciano had already flitted off with a short greeting.

Aiyana raised an eyebrow. "Such a big group!"she said softly with a laugh. "Come on in. Lovi, you up to helping me in the garden in a bit?"

Lovino grinned and nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Matthew smiled before he saw that Feliciano had made his way out to the old tree again. "Lovi, your brother."

Lovino sighed and took off to get him. He'd had enough scares here with Feliciano that they'd gotten into habit of always keeping an eye on him. When Lovino came back in, Feliciano with him, he looked to Ludwig. "I'm trusting you to keep an eye on him. Don't mess it up."

Ludwig nodded and Feliciano darted to his side, clinging to his arm and dragging him outside.

Aiyana laughed softly. "Still so full of energy."

"Unfortunately."Lovino added, shaking his head.

Antonio spoke up. "Aw, don't be like that, Lovi. You know you like that he still acts like a child."

Lovino half smiled before he nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."he said, grinning back at Antonio.

Aiyana noticed this and crossed her arms with a smile. "Now what's going on here?"  
Matthew looked to the others. "That's our key to leave."he said softly.

Aiyana turned her eyes to Matthew for a moment before she shook her head. "No. Don't think I didn't see you and Alfred's actions this morning. You're to stay."

Those that it didn't apply to disappeared, leaving Antonio, Lovino, Alfred, Arthur, Gilbert and Matthew in the room.

Lovino looked over at Matthew worriedly, but said nothing.

Aiyana examined the boys before she spoke. "Now, you know I don't mind or anything. But I do need to talk to you guys."

Antonio spoke softly. "If you're going to tell us not to hurt them...don't worry. Vash has covered that. With all of us. Even with Feli and Ludwig."

Aiyana nodded. "I've covered it with Feli and Ludwig as well. After they first got together. I would suppose that's why Ludwig was so hesitant to come inside this time."

Matthew snorted. "More like it's more people."he commented. "He's still people-shy."

Aiyana laughed softly before she spoke again. "Well. I need names."

Lovino spoke softly. "This is Antonio, Gilbert and Arthur."he said quickly, knowing not to push Aiyana's limits. It wouldn't end well.

Aiyana nodded, looking at the three who'd just been introduced to her. "Well, boys, I trust that all three of you know not to hurt my boys, right?"

Three nods followed this question.

Aiyana examined them for a bit longer, making sure they were being honest before she sighed. "Fine. Go. But be careful not to get hurt!"

With this, they took off. Lovino gave Aiyana a smile as he passed, allowing Antonio to drag him outside into the sunlight.

Not long after, Aiyana came out with a few baskets stacked under her arm. She looked to the tree, where the group was sitting or lounging. "Lovino!"she called. "Come on."

Lovino shot up from his seat with Antonio, going to take a few baskets from Aiyana.

After watching Lovino start helping gather what was ready to be harvested, Matthew smiled softly. "He's gotten really used to her customs, don't you agree?"he asked, looking over to Alfred, who nodded.

"Most people shrug it off. It's different."Alfred said softly, going back to what he was doing - braiding flower stems together to form a tiara. Matthew noticed and half smiled. "You realize she's going to get on to you for picking the flowers instead of letting them grow."

A shrug was the answer he got.

Gilbert spoke. "So...customs?"he asked.

Matthew nodded, smiling faintly. "She's a native."he answered. "She's done the harvesting and stuff for years. That's why she's so keen on letting the flowers and stuff grow. Alfred, quit picking flowers."he added, seeing his brother still picking the flowers.

Alfred paused. "This is the last few. I promise! I'll replant some more, so calm down. I always do."

"And you always forget to water them."Matthew pointed out.

Alfred ignored him, finishing what he was doing. He got up as soon as he was done, going to give it to his mother, who smiled faintly, but gave him a stern look, talking to him quickly.

Alfred nodded and returned to his seat. "I'll replant some more flowers this evening after dinner,"he told Matthew.

Matthew rolled his eyes.

Antonio smiled as he watched this before looking back to see Lovino carefully examining a plant before deciding it wasn't ready to harvest and moving on. He decided then that the day had gone over really well. It was a nice surprise to see Lovino acting like that.

**And more research has been done. Freaking hate it. Gr. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter.**


	94. Chapter 94

**AN: Here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Evelynyamine: It was raining when I was writing it, actually. I'm glad you liked it. **

**Enjoy.**

After a while, Antonio got up and snuck up behind Lovino, pulling him into a tight hug.

Lovino squealed slightly in surprise, but didn't jump.

Aiyana stopped to look over at the small Italian. She gave a soft smile and went back to what she was doing.

Antonio grinned slightly. "Hi, Lovi!"he said softly.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Toni, let me go."he said in response, glancing over his shoulder. "Please?"

Antonio released him and Lovino finished with one of the baskets. As soon as he did, he turned around and looked at Antonio. "Do me a favor? Take this and place it with the others on that patio table. Without spilling anything or dropping it."

Antonio kissed Lovino's cheek and did so.

Aiyana grinned. "I see someone knows how to control him."

Lovino looked back at her as he grabbed another basket from the ground. "More like I know how to distract him."he said softly. "Most of the time, anyway."

"I take it you two are close?"Aiyana asked, not bothering to look to Lovino as she asked.

Lovino paused before he sighed. "I suppose."he responded. He looked over to where the Spaniard was before he spoke again. "I love him and everything..but..."

Aiyana stopped her work when she heard the 'but'. That never ended well when it came to Lovino. "But what, nechaun?"

Lovino shook his head. "But I feel like he's wasting his time with me. He keeps telling me that I'm amazing how I am..but...but I know that I'm just some broken _child_ who grew up to fast."

Aiyana set her basket back on the ground, moving to place a hand in the middle of Lovino's back, over the wings. "You are so much more than that. You know it."

Lovino shrugged and went back to his work.

Aiyana sighed and headed to talk to the others. Lovino ignored this.

As soon as Aiyana reached the group, she kneeled in front of them. "What's happened to him? He's different."  
Matthew sighed. "Mom..it's a long story...and it's not really our story to tell."

Aiyana looked to Matthew. "I don't want to hear it. He just told me that he thinks Antonio's wasting his time by staying with him."she said. "What's happened? He used to be so full of life. He's a ghost of who he was."

Feliciano spoke up. "Lovi..that group he was in..Toris and Raivis were in it to..and there was a lot of crap that happened. Turns out it was a lot worse than just the physical injuries Lovi always came home with."

"Mind, those were pretty bad."Matthew said softly.

Aiyana nodded for them to continue.

Feliciano looked to Toris and Raivis.

Raivis spoke up. "Lovino had it the worse of all of us. He was always the fighter of the three of us. While Tor and me only ever got a few minor injuries, Lovi...he...he was nearly raped, at least once every month or so."

Aiyana froze, looking back at the Italian still working in the garden.

"And...well, he's still recovering from leaving back before Christmas."Raivis said softly.

Aiyana let her eyes close. "No wonder he says he's broken.."she murmured, opening her eyes again and looking to Antonio. "You love him, don't you?"she asked.

Antonio nodded. "More than anything."he said quietly. "...he's mi angel."

Aiyana half smiled. Different language or not, she understood that. "That he is. Treat him well or it'll be you I'm after."she warned, getting up and returning to her work.

Matthew sighed. "Someone's going to end up dying.."

Dinner that evening was anything but quiet.

Lovino didn't actively participate in the conversations around him. After a while of trying to get Lovino involved, Antonio sighed. "Lovi...I need to talk to you. In private."

Lovino's eyes flew up to meet Antonio's. He knew what those words meant. He nodded and got up, heading to sit out back.

Matthew watched his best friend leave before he looked to Antonio. "You really need to think before you start speaking."he said. "Because those words can code so much.."

Antonio looked over at him. "Sorry."he said softly, getting up and disappearing after Lovino.

Aiyana sighed. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to go over well for those two?"

Matthew stared after the two for a moment before he spoke. "Because it won't."

Antonio closed the door carefully after he left the house, moving to sit beside Lovino on the grass in the yard. He looked at the Italian, who was sitting curled in on himself. "Lovi."he said softly.

Lovino didn't look up at the Spaniard. "Don't. Just don't."he said, clenching his eyes closed against tears that threatened to fall. "If you're going to say goodbye, I don't want to hear it."

Antonio felt his heart break. "I'm not."he said. "That's just it. You seem to have the idea that if you show any sort of true feeling to me that I'm just going to up and leave. That might be all you know, but I'm not going to. I would never."

Lovino opened his eyes and looked up at Antonio, searching his face for any sign of a lie. When he found none, a few tears fell. "Really?"he asked.

"Swear."Antonio said softly, crossing his heart quickly.

Lovino let Antonio draw him into a hug as he cried.

After a while, Lovino spoke. "I don't understand.."he said quietly. "You're hurting yourself by staying...why are you still with me? You deserve better."

Antonio sighed, shaking his head. "I couldn't get any better. You're perfect to me, Lovino. And..I'm not hurting myself by staying with you. By leaving, I would kill any chance I had of being happy again. You're the reason I'm still alive today."

Lovino raised his head to look at Antonio. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to.

Antonio kissed Lovino's forehead gently. "It's been a long day. You need to relax and get some rest, okay?"  
"I'm not a baby.."Lovino grumbled. "I can take care of myself."

Antonio grinned. "I know."

**Here. I hope you guys like it.**

**I need some time on my own now.**


	95. Chapter 95

**AN: Hey, guys. **

**I'm dead tired, but I wanted to upload this before bed. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: (chapter 93) Glad you found it cute and sweet, then! (Chapter 94) They are, huh...?**

**Enjoy.**

_Sobs tore through Lovino. Raivis was being kept put in the far corner, watching one of his friends come undone. Feliciano's eyes were wide as one of the men held him still, pressing a blade against his throat. _

_Lovino's broken voice tore through the silent. "Don't hurt him. Let him go. I don't care what you do to me, just don't hurt him."_

_The man gave Lovino a searching look before pulling the blade away, releasing Feliciano, who moved to give his brother a tight hug. _

_Lovino shook his head, breathing in his brother's scent for what could be the last time. "Go to Vash. He'll keep you safe."he said quietly. "I'll be okay."_

_Feliciano hesitated before he nodded in understanding. _

_Before the younger got up and left, Lovino spoke again. "Ti amo, fratellino."_

_Feliciano's eyes flickered to Lovino. "Ti amo."he said, darting from where he was. _

_ Later that night, Vash got a call from the hospital. They had Lovino. He got up and told Feliciano to get dressed, driving the younger to the hospital. Feliciano broke down in sobs when he saw his brother, completely still on the hospital bed, pale, but still clinging to life. Vash never let his tears fall. _

_Vash couldn't get Feliciano to leave that night. _

Lovino bolted awake with a quiet scream. His eyes darted around the dark room until he noticed that Antonio was laying beside him. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart then, letting the tears fall.

Antonio blinked his eyes open not long after that, rubbing at one of them tiredly. "Lovi? You okay..?"

Lovino let out a quiet sob and allowed Antonio to pull him close.

The light flickered on right about then and Matthew sighed. "Another nightmare?"he asked.

Antonio nodded, knowing Lovino wouldn't be up to answering for a while.

Alfred got up. "I'll go get Ma..."he said, disappearing upstairs.

He came back, Aiyana following him.

When she caught sight of Lovino, she sighed and moved to kneel with Antonio and Lovino. "Lovi, are you alright?"

Lovino pulled away from Antonio only to shoot himself into her arms.

"What was the nightmare about, nechaun?"

Lovino didn't respond, but Feliciano pursed his lips. "Fratellone? Ti amo."he said softly, about to move to sit with Lovino.

When Lovino's sobs strengthened, Feliciano's eyes widened. "Lovi!"he cried out.

Aiyana looked over at Feliciano in worry. "What's going on?"

Feliciano spoke quickly. "There was a time..back when he was about thirteen...the only time he ever actually told me that he loved me..he actually ended up in the hospital...and I think the memory kind of hit him."

When Lovino calmed down, Aiyana let him go. "Are you okay now?"she asked quietly. "Think you can get back to sleep?"

Lovino sniffled slightly, collapsing back against Antonio's chest. "I..I'm okay."he said shakily.

Aiyana tucked a lock of Lovino's hair behind his ear so it wasn't falling into his eyes. "Try to get some rest."she said softly.

Lovino nodded, and Aiyana got up, looking to the others. "Goodnight."she said before disappearing.

Feliciano got up and headed over to pull his brother into a hug. He wasn't used to seeing his brother break like that. After a while, he spoke softly. "Fratello?"he asked.

Lovino looked up at Feliciano.

"...why'd you do it?"Feliciano asked. "They almost killed you..just because you wanted to protect me."

Lovino half smiled. "Because. You're my brother. I'm not going to abandon you..even if it costs me my life. It's my job to protect you. And I will. Forever."

Feliciano nodded.

Things settled down after that.

The following morning, Aiyana came down to see that while the others were up and moving, Antonio and Lovino were still curled up, sound asleep. She paused to examine them. Antonio had his arms wrapped protectively around Lovino, while Lovino was using him as a pillow and had one of his arms thrown over Antonio's stomach. She smiled softly and shook her head, moving to pull the blanket up further around them, careful not to wake them, before going to help the others with breakfast.

When Antonio awoke, it was to see everyone sitting around eating and talking quietly. He blinked tiredly, yawning slightly before he looked down at Lovino to see him still peacefully asleep. He gave a soft smile and shook his head.

Gilbert noticed that Antonio was awake and grinned. "Good morning, Tonio!"he greeted. "Sleep well?"

Antonio nodded, but didn't speak that way he didn't run the risk of waking Lovino.

This action gained him soft smiles from the others, which he ignored in favor of getting some more rest himself.

**And...yeah..I hate myself for doing this.**


	96. Chapter 96

**AN: Hey. guys. Sorry for the sudden disappearance on my part. My laptop's powercord broke and I haven't been able to get ahold of another computer until now. I should have a new powercord by no later than Wednsday, and I can get back to updating regularly then. But as for right now, I'll see how many updates I can manage before I lose this laptop as well, since it's my step father's and it was rented. Not a good combo.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Definitely!**

**ThatRandomReview: I don't know why. My Biology teacher did the same with me, so did my History and Art teacher. German...well, we only had two exams recently - a speaking and writing exam. It was simple, thank god. Though technically, now, I only have like..half of a week of school if I'm exempt from my finals..which I hope I am.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

When Lovino finally woke up, it was to Antonio playing with his hair softly. He shifted, blinking tiredly at Antonio. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"he mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Antonio let his hand drop away from Lovino's hair. "Sorry, Lovi."he said softly. "Force of habit."  
Lovino nodded in understanding. He did understand that.

The others were grinning at this scene. They'd gotten used to seeing stuff like this, but after the night that Lovino had had, it was a lot nicer to see him acting normal for a change instead of so closed off. '

Lovino glanced at the clock on the wall then and cursed, shooting up from where he was laying.

Vash raised an eyebrow from where he was seated. "What's your rush?"

"One of you idiots should've woke me up an hour ago!"Lovino snapped. "I have work today, in like a half hour. I don't really want my boss after my head for being late when we're already short-staffed today."

Vash held his hands up in surrender. "Well get ready, I'll drive you and explain."he said, shaking his head.

It took Lovino only ten minutes to get ready for work that morning.

Aiyana smiled in amusement as she watched this.

After Vash and Lovino left, Antonio shook his head. "He really needs to stop stressing out so much."he said softly.

Gilbert nodded. "Shame he doesn't know how to stop and relax. It'd be nice to see him at ease again for a change."he said softly. "He's working himself to death. He really needs to stop doing that."

Feliciano spoke softly. "I've offered to get a job to help..but he won't let me."

"Of course he won't."Matthew said. "He grew up fast to let you keep your childhood innocence, Feli. He'll feel completely worthless if you go and give that up for him. That's just how he is."

Feliciano huffed. "That doesn't make it right."he pointed out. "He's killing himself like this, and I don't like watching him hurt himself to help me. He's done that too much,"

Antonio sighed. "Listen, we'll figure something out, okay? Lovi'll be alright. His boss is really understanding. And trust me, if Lovi looks like he's dead on his feet tired or whatever, then he'll be sent home to get some rest."

Feliciano nodded in understanding. "I just hope he knows when enough's enough."he mumbled.

Nobody said anything different. They all hoped that.

**Here ya go. This is rather short, I know, but I'm working on it, okay?**


	97. Chapter 97

**AN: Here ya go. The newest chapter for this. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReivew: Thank god!**

**Spamano4ever: I know! I was so glad I got to update again, because it was driving me nuts, not being able to write! I'm glad you found it cute! That wasn't what I was aiming for when I started, but...well, that's what it ended up being.**

**Anyways. Enjoy.**

Lovino didn't even make it an hour after he got home before he was sound asleep. The others were glad he was getting some rest, since he seemed dead on his feet when he'd come in from work. They knew it was due to all that had happened as of recently.

When he woke up the following morning, it was to see that the others were all awake already.

Matthew smiled softly. "Good morning, Lovi."he said softly.

"Morning."Lovino grumbled, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "What time is it?"

Matthew glanced at the clock before he answered. "Right around nine thirty. You off today?"

Lovino nodded. "Yeah. I was told to stay home for a couple of days and get some rest, because so many people were wondering if I was feeling okay yesterday."

Feliciano examined Lovino before he spoke. "You do need to rest..."he said softly. "You didn't even get to eat dinner last night because you came home and went straight to sleep."

Lovino shrugged. "Oh well."he mumbled.

Antonio shook his head, pulling Lovino against him. "Oh, quit being stubborn. Just admit that you were tired."he said softly. "And let it go. And this time..actually get rested up."

Lovino nodded. "I'll try."

When Lovino and Feliciano actually went to their home again, Lovino immediately went and collapsed in bed, seeming to relax quite a bit more after that.

The others got there not long after. Feliciano shook his head in amusement. "He's asleep,"he said softly.

Antonio smiled. "Good. He needs the rest."he said.

It was quite a bit later that Lovino entered the room, seeming much more rested than he had before. He gave the group a soft smile as he sat down beside Antonio, who wrapped his arms around him.

It didn't take long for the group to settle into a calm routine again. It was always nice to get back to the normalcy in the group after a long day. Now they only had to make it through the school day tomorrow and figure out how they were going to deal with the summer that was going to come up upon them soon.

**Here is the new chapter of this. It is currently midnight, I am going off to work on something else. **


	98. Chapter 98

**AN: Here ya go, loves. New chapter. Also, this might be my only update today because I'm going to this graduation thing at my church tonight. And I have to say one thing: About half of the 'cosplay' group I'm in at school are seniors this year. This crap sucks. Terribly. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Dude! Work on that dang history project already!**

**Penguin Braginski: I'm glad you like it!**

**Enjoy!**

The following morning, none of them looked forward to returning to school. It had become a lot like torture for them that year with all that had happened.

Lovino was tense. Everyone could tell that much about the Italian. It was setting Raivis and Toris on edge again as well.

After a while of silence, Toris spoke. "Why the hell are you so tense?"he asked, his own voice tense.

Lovino glanced at Toris before he continued taking in a look about the area they were in.

Gilbert sighed. "Lovi, you're making all of us tense, what's going on?"

Lovino turned to look at Gilbert for a moment before he shook his head. "Nothing. It's just better to be safe than sorry and after..."

"Yeah.."Gilbert said softly. "Okay,"

But still, it didn't set anyone at ease.

Antonio walked Lovino to his first block again. But this time, it was uncomfortable. Both of them were silent and tense, but for different reasons.

When they came to a stop outside of Lovino's class, Antonio spoke. "Listen Lovi...I get why you're so tense today, but please...we don't need any panic attacks today, so can we figure out a way to..I don't know, make you guys feel a bit more safe here?"

Lovino smiled softly at him. "You always do this."he said softly. "Try to set everyone at ease no matter the cost."

Antonio shrugged. "Of course."

Lovino laughed. "Well, if I can think of anything, I'll let you know. I promise."he said softly. "But for now, you need to get to class. I love you."

Antonio smiled softly, stealing a kiss before he released Lovino's hand. "I love you too."he said before he disappeared to his class.

Lovino rolled his eyes and entered his own class, ready for the day to be overwith.

By lunch, Lovino was relatively relaxed again. He kept a close eye on Toris and Raivis on the way to lunch, not wanting them to get hurt, but otherwise, he was completely calm.

Antonio smiled at the three when they entered the cafeteria. "Hola!"he greeted.

Lovino rolled his eyes and sat down beside him while Raivis and Toris both greeted him in their country's language as they took seats nearby.

Gilbert smiled. He quite enjoyed when people were that at ease with others. It was rare to see it.

**Here. Now...I'm going to get some food, then go play Skyrim for a while. **


	99. Chapter 99

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**So...I have some news. Just a warning before you continue with this chapter..I could really use a bit of friendly advice right now, outside of the realm I'm used to. If you have any advice for me, I'd love it if you'd message it to me..since I really do need it right now. That church thing tonight...no. Just no. I hated it so much. I had fun with the other youth, but...I don't like being called an 'abomination'. And I was. The preacher tonight called everyone in the LGBT community abominations and then turned around and said that nobody is worthless or useless. Bigoted, much? And then...when I got home, I got dumped, apparently. I don't know, I'm still waiting on the message back. But it's screwing with me. I don't trust easily..and this person had a lot of my trust. Not at all. All of this in one night..I just want to lay down and say I quit and give up. But I won't...I won't. **

**Anyways..onwards. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Yeah. I know. I couldn't find another word off the top of my head for it. But I'm glad you're done.**

**Shiralala: I died. Six times. In the space of a half hour. I suck at Skyrim! But I'm glad you like how I portray Lovi! That's how my group's Lovi is, so that's what I base it off of, since we're all a lot like our characters. That's what we base the dubbing off of.**

**Spamano4ever: Lovi is okay now, thank gods. And yes, nothing bad is happening yet.**

**Enjoy.**

_Lovino prided himself on his strength in bad situations. He wouldn't break first thing..it most cases. This time, though... It had all added up recently. Since Lovino had been gone for a while, he knew that Vash was probably wondering if they'd killed him yet or not. Honestly, it might have hurt less if they had. Right now, Toris was doctoring him up while they were left alone, but there was so much pain that Lovino couldn't move, couldn't really see. His vision was tunneled badly._

_"Tor, I think you need to stop for a bit and make sure he's still with us." Raivis's voice was soft, but it sounded distant to Lovino. _

_Toris paused in his work, evidently looking up at the Latvian, but he didn't continue after that. Instead, he placed a gentle hand on Lovino's uninjuried shoulder and spoke softly. "Romano..you still with us, man?"he asked softly. _

_Lovino fought to figure out how to respond for a moment before he spoke. "Barely."he managed, though his voice dd sound weak._

_Toris glanced at his watch before he looked at Raivis. "Are they all gone now?"he asked. _

_Raivis didn't respond. Instead, he walked to the door and opened it slightly, peering out. Since there were only two rooms in the whole of the building, it was easy to tell. "All clear,"he said, looking back at Toris, who nodded and picked Lovino up. The Italian let out a whine, but did nothing else._

_Toris looked at Raivis. "Call Vash, tell him to meet us at the park, without Feliciano with him. We don't need a freak out on our hands as well."he said. _

_Raivis did just that as they walked out of the building they'd come to hate with a passion. _

_They weren't at the park but for about twenty minutes before Vash pulled up and sprinted over to where they were at. He collapsed next to Lovino before he even came to a full stop, examining the Italian. When he figured that Lovino would be alright with the proper care, he relaxed a bit. "Man..we better get you doctored up before Feli sees you or he'll be the one trying to protect you."_

_Lovino shook his head, vision darkening a bit more, he clenched his eyes closed for a moment, trying to right his vision again. _

_Vash noticed and sighed. "Alright, come on. All three of you."he said, getting up and offering a hand to help Lovino up as the others stood. _

_Lovino shoved the hand away and got up from where he was seated._

_"All right, I'm going to take you guys to Matt's, and then I'll go make sure Feli's okay. I'll be back around after that. Stay out of trouble. Aiyana will make sure you are all okay."_

_Lovino nodded. _

_ The entire way, nobody said a word. _

_As soon as they made it to Matthew's house, Alfred came outside, curious as to what was going on. He frowned when he saw Lovino sporting injuries. The other two got out to help, but Alfred shook his head, carefully unbuckling the Italian and picking him up, not wanting to disturb him when he seemed to be resting. _

_As soon as the four got inside, Vash pulled off to go check up on Feliciano. _

_Matthew gasped when he saw Alfred carrying Lovino, knowing that the Italian didn't usually allow that. _

_"What happened?!"he exclaimed, getting his mother's attention from the kitchen. _

_Aiyana frowned deeply. "Set him down, Alfred."she said softly. "And go get the first aid kit."_

_Alfred did so, completely silent. _

_Toris and Raivis stayed back away from this, not really too certain about this situation._

_Aiyana abandoned what she had been doing in the kitchen to take care of Lovino as soon as Alfred came back with the first aid kit. _

_Lovino let out quite a few whines and whimpers during this, and everytime, Aiyana would pause for a moment, speak quietly in her native language, then continue. _

"Lovino!" Matthew's voice cut through the memory then.

Lovino looked up at Matthew. They were currently sitting outside after school, waiting for Feliciano and Ludwig, who were lagging behind.

Matthew sighed. "Don't do that!"he said. "Please don't do that."

Lovino nodded. "Sorry, Mattie."he said quietly.

Antonio drew Lovino into a tight hug. "You had us all worried when you stopped responding to us. What was the memory about this time?"

Lovino looked over to Toris and Raivis, and both of them seemed to know exactly what it was over this time.

Toris spoke up. "More than likely about the time that Vash actually had to take us to Matt's place to get him doctored up."he said softly. "It's the only time I can remember that was bad enough to make him completely stop responding like that."

Antonio nodded in thanks, and Lovino let his eyes close, curling into the embrace. It was nice to have that comfort.

Raivis bit back a smile at that. He was glad that Lovino had Antonio to help him.

**Here's the new one. **


	100. Chapter 100

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: Thanks.**

**Evelynyamine: It was. It hurt to write it because it was so freaking realistic to me..just..damn, I didn't mean to make it that intense! But thanks.**

**Guest: It's just fine that you decided to stay an anon. And..yes, that advice was cheesy, but it's very true. Thanks.**

**Enjoy.**

After that flashback, the group kept a closer eye on Lovino, not wanting him to slip back into the past again like he had before.

Feliciano could tell the way they were acting was bothering Lovino, but he also knew that he wouldn't say anything to them about it, because he was glad they cared.

Lovino spent a lot of time talking with Raivis and Toris, who acted normally around him. Besides, they were understanding. They'd had their moments just like Lovino had.

What surprised the others was the fact that Lovino was so okay with joking around about the time with the mafia with the other two. He brought a guitar out to where they were hanging out in the yard at the Vargas home and was sitting with Toris and Raivis, playing softly while the two spoke.

"Remember all those times that we stayed at Tor's house? Kind of like an escape.."Raivis said.

Lovino nodded. "Yeah, that was nice. It used to be like the highlight of my week after dealing with those bastards."

Toris rolled his eyes. "Well one thing's for sure now..no matter what happens, we have some awesome people who are willing to help."he said, nodding to the others just out of hearing distance.

Lovino looked over at them before smiling. "Yeah we do."he said softly.

After that, silence fell over the three. Then Raivis spoke again. "Listen, guys. I'm kind of tired of seeing the past hurt you two,"

"And we're sick of seeing it hurt you,"Toris pointed out.

Raivis ignored this, pressing on. "Can we please figure out a way to get passed this and continue with our lives?"

Lovino nodded. "Definitely."he said softly. "But how exactly are we supposed to do that?"

Toris sighed. "Man, I don't know."he replied. "But we'll figure it out. Together. Just like before. I promise."

Antonio gave the three a worried look from his seat before he got up and moved to join them. "So, what's going on with you guys?"he asked, wrapping his arms around Lovino.

Lovino smiled softly. "You know..I think I might just have an idea. You two up for a little jam session tomorrow, lay it all out?"

Antonio raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, knowing that he probably shouldn't try to interupt.

Toris shrugged. "When tomorrow?"

"Last two blocks. There's an assembly, but..well, it's not like any of us are needed, so we always go to the auditorium to hang out during it. So, what do you say?"

Raivis grinned. "Fine. It sounds like a plan."

Toris nodded in agreement, so Lovino grinned and finally glanced back at Antonio. "Hey, Toni."he greeted warmly. "Sorry,"

Antonio shook his head. "I'm glad you guys are trying to work this out."he said. "It's better than hiding."

The three nodded in agreement with that.

**Here. By the way, I was thinking...maybe for the next chapter (which will contain a musical "performance") I might could use the song 'Say' by John Mayer.**

**But if you guys want to offer a different song, I'd be open to suggestions!**


	101. Chapter 101

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**I went through some of the songs you guys sent in! I love them, honestly, I do. But I also went through all the lyrics to see which song worked better for what I have planned for this. I'm sticking to Say by John Mayer. It's an amazing song, but it'll also really let me do what I want to do with this chapter. God knows I need one chapter like that! Most of them..it's like my writing takes a mind of it's own halfway through. I will also have a twist in here for one of you, because..yeah, you were right. It does fit Lovi!**

**Anyway, enough of that rant. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**LaniKat84: Those are all amazing songs. I took the time to listen to them before starting this. Keep an eye out in this chapter, there's a twist that I just have to include. Because..well, it does fit! You were right!**

**Sirene Solstice: I'm glad you like it, and I will be sure to thank my friends profusely for that, as they are who I base the characters off of. I looked that song up, and I love it, but there are some things that I just can't use for Lovino, Toris and Raivis. Due to the fact that well...it's just odd for me to try to.**

**Spamano4ever: I'm glad you think so!**

**chibiromano22: I will definitely use that in a chapter. I promise. I'm going to come up with a great plan for that! Grazie!**

**Enjoy!**

The following morning was full of rain. Lovino scowled when he noticed this, but said nothing.

Still, it was a calm morning. Gilbert had been questioning Lovino, Antonio, Raivis and Toris all morning, since they seemed to be hiding something.

Finally Toris spoke up, looking between Lovino and Raivis. "You guys ready for everything to be laid out on the line?"he asked.

The other two nodded, though they did seem slightly hesitant.

Throughout lunch, things remained pretty quiet.

At lunch is when things started getting loud. Lovino ended up getting his guitar out a bit early after the group finished eating, playing a slightly abridged version of a song.

Gilbert, who knew the song Lovino was playing by heart, grinned. He didn't sing though. After a moment of this, Ludwig nudged Gilbert, nodding for him to sing.

Gilbert rolled his eyes and started singing from where they were.

"_I'm just a moment so don't let me pass you by. We can be a story in the morning, but we'll be a legend tonight."_

Francis rolled his eyes. Of course.

Lovino stopped playing not long after due to the looks they were getting from others in the cafeteria. "Man! Have you stopped to think of how well that applies to this group?"

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah. It took me a while to really start to see all that's happened here in the group just in the past couple of months, but it's nice. It's really nice. It's good to know that there's other groups like that,"

"No matter how weird."Lovino laughed.

Toris smiled faintly.

It was then that their lunch ended. A few people shoved past Gilbert and Lovino harshly, making the Italian glare at them. "Hey!"he yelled after them. "If you have a problem with us, you need to say it to our faces!"

One of the males turned around, pausing in his walking until he didn't have to yell. "Alright, then. I don't like that a couple of queers are acting like their so much better than everyone else. Nobody cares, alright? They never have."

Vash caught Lovino just as he went to swing, and Gilbert stayed back.

Lovino huffed. "Go to Hell."he snapped at the male, who was already walking away.

As soon as he was out of sight, Vash released Lovino. "Chill, Lovino. He's just being a douche, the same as most people do at this school. You're used to it, I know that."

Lovino rolled his shoulders. "Still doesn't make it right."

Raivis shook his head. "Let's just go, Lovi."he said softly.

Lovino nodded once.

Once the group was in the auditorium, while the rest of the school was in the gym for the assembly, things settled down. They all sat down onstage, just hanging out for a while.

As soon as they were all back to normal, Lovino got his guitar back out and started playing again. This time, Toris started singing. While they hadn't planned this, it was normal for them.

"_Take all of your wasted honour, every little past frustration, take all of your so called problems, better put 'em in quotations. Say what you need to say, say what you need to say."_

Lovino grinned up at Toris. He loved that his friends were so okay with this.

Raivis joined Toris then.

"_Walking like a one man army, fighting with the shadows in your head. Living off the same old moment, knowing you'd be better off instead if you could only say what you need to say.."_

Antonio smiled softly. It was nice, seeing the three be so in harmony with each other. This time, Lovino took over from the two. It was their normal type of thing.

"_Have no fear for giving in, have no fear for giving over. But you better know that in the end it's better to say too much Than never to say what you need to say again."_

Toris gave a soft smile, joining Lovino in the singing again softly.

"_Even if your hands are shaking and your faith is broken Even as your eyes are closing, do it with a heart wide open."_

As soon as they finished, Lovino shook his head. "Anyone got anything they want to say?"

Raivis spoke up immediately. "I'm really glad I met you guys. even through the bad situation that caused it. Tor, Lovi...you guys changed my life, this entire group has."

Lovino rolled his eyes, but he grinned anyways.

"You know..I love this group. It's family, almost."

Feliciano nodded, cuddling closer to Ludwig as he watched his brother.

Toris and Raivis shared soft smiles. They were glad to be involved in a group like this. Really glad.

**Here you go.**


	102. Chapter 102

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**So, here's the thing about this. I'm trying to get this to work out, but..with my writing? Not likely until I get to school so I can sit down and actually plan this crap out, which is what's going to happen before I update.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Yes, yes they are.**

**Spamano4ever: Cute, huh?**

**LaniKat84: I know. I heard it once on the radio and then someone played it again, like a huge Glee fan - I love Glee, don't get me wrong, but I fell out of watching it. So, I looked it up again andd I was like..whoa. This fits so well. And All Time Low's songs are amazing!**

**Enjoy.**

A lot of the rest of the day was spent talking. Vash remained rather quiet, then he decided to speak up. "So, that song you were playing at lunch, Lovi.."

"Outlines, All Time Low."Lovino said automatic, looking over at Vash. "What of it?"

Vash half smiled at that. "Just wondering why you played that song."

Lovino shrugged. "Kind of an inside joke."he said. "Feli gets it, I think, and Gil knows, but..I'm not explaining to anyone else."

The group settled down a good bit after that. It was comfortable.

Eventually, Gilbert spoke up. "Why'd you jump in like you did earlier? With that jock?"

Lovino looked at Gilbert, who was watching him with dark eyes. "I..I'm sick of people pushing everyone who's a bit different around."

Gilbert half smiled. "Well..let's try not to get killed, okay?"

Lovino nodded in acceptance.

"I know."Toris said softly. "I haven't seen that much fight in you since one of those mafia douches tried to hurt Raiv and me a while before you got out. You fucked him up."

Lovino shrugged. "And got fucked up in return for it."he countered. "It's nothing that's a big deal. I don't like watching people suffer. I know how it feels too much to let someone suffer."

Antonio wrapped his arms around Lovino. It was quiet in the group, but nobody wanted to break it. It wasn't like they really had to say anything to get their meaning across. Antonio gave the others a look that clearly told them to let it be before kissing Lovino's cheek softly.

Lovino half smiled at that, glancing at Antonio before he rolled his eyes.

After school, Antonio started acting like a child again while waiting on everyone to get ready to leave.

Lovino was laughing at his boyfriend's antics. It wasn't anything new. But it was still nice.

**Now, back to my History homework. 50 states in one night. Fun. And seeing as there's state OCS in Hetalia...great, my teacher is going to kill me.**


	103. Chapter 103

**AN: Here's the new chapter. **

**So, those states? Yeah..I got most of them done. I nearly fell asleep on the computer last night. I was so exhausted. Then tonight's my big brother's, as well as about half of my group's, graduation. I wanna go see it, but I dunno if I'll be able to. I'm gunna miss them!**

**On a side note, I told America this morning that I hated her states and her response was 'then let them be hated'. Real nice. But still, I understand. With all that's happened recently? Yeah, I understand it.**

**Anyways..**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Spamano4ever: I know, right? It's interesting to watch people do that.**

**LaniKat84: Yeah. I know, I didn't start Glee until my Route 85 year - second eighth grade year - when Mr. Carter got me hooked on the music, and I started watching the show. On..the first episode with the Warblers - Never Been Kissed. And that does sound quite scary.**

**Enjoy.**

A broken cry filled the silence. Lovino blinked his eyes open tiredly at the sound, looking around for the source of it. When the light flickered on, it alerted him to the fact that the others were awake, too. He finally realized who it was when he looked over at Raivis and Toris. Raivis was sitting up, running his fingers through Toris's hair softly. He got up and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, coming back with a mug of warm chamomile tea. He sat down in front of Raivis and Toris carefully. "Tor?"he asked quietly.

When Toris's eyes opened, Lovino noticed that the pupil had canceled out all the colour in his eyes.

"What was it this time?"Lovino asked softly.

Toris shook his head, allowing Raivis to help him sit up. Lovino offered him the mug, which he accepted and gave a faint smile. He met Lovino's eyes then. That was all that he needed to do. No words were needed.

Raivis sighed, giving Toris a tight hug. "We aren't going to let you get hurt again!"he mumbled into Toris's shoulder.

Toris set the mug down, shifting slightly so he could hug Raivis back before pushing him away slightly. "I know."he said softly.

"But it isn't enough to stop the memories and nightmares."Lovino finished.

Toris nodded.

Antonio managed a faint smile at seeing this interaction. While he knew the three had gone through Hell with the mafia, he also knew they were all strong. And that they depended on each other to stay together. They understood each other in a way that nobody else in the group shared. It was much deeper than normal friendship. It was a lot more trusting and loyal. They acted like brothers. All three of them. They cared for one another.

The following morning, everyone sat in silence. At least until Lovino managed to drop a tray he was carrying to set on the coffee table, making the contents on it shatter. He flinched back from the loud shattering, but immediately kneeled down to pick the shattered glass up from the floor.

Toris rolled his eyes and got up, disappearing for a moment before he came back with a roll of multi-coloured duct tape, kneeling beside Lovino and pushing his hands away. "Go put that away somewhere, we'll see what we can do with it later."he said.

Lovino nodded, getting up carefully and going to deposit the glass shards onto the kitchen table.

Toris set about working on the small splinters of glass, easily cleaning it up with the tape he'd grabbed before getting the tray up and taking the items into the kitchen.

As soon as the mess was clean, Toris stopped in front of Lovino, who'd moved to sit in the living room. "Let me see your hands."he said softly, kneeling down in front of the chair.

Lovino huffed, but held his hands out anyways.

Toris was careful as he examined them. He stopped when he found a single cut going around Lovino's left hand. It went about halfway across the palm and around. "You really need to wear gloves when you're handling broken glass, Lovino."he murmured.

Raivis sighed, disappearing and bringing Toris back a first aid kit without being asked, allowing the Lithuanian to be able to doctor Lovino's hand.

Antonio watched this in amazement. He'd never seen a group who worked so well together like these three did.

When Toris was finished, he put the kit up and Lovino rolled his eyes.

Raivis spoke softly. "You flinched when you dropped the tray."he pointed out.

Toris re-entered just then and looked to Lovino.

Lovino shrugged. "Did you not hear how fucking loud it was? Of course I flinched! I didn't expect it to be loud like that!"he said in his defense, but Raivis raised an eyebrow like he didn't believe Lovino's story.

"Uh-huh. So it has nothing to do with what happened the last time you dropped something glass?"

Lovino's eyes went to his hands, folded in his lap.

Antonio sighed. "Another thing with the Mafia?"

Toris nodded. "The one day we thought we'd all avoided trouble with them. Lovino got tore up pretty bad that day. From the glass and the...well.."

Antonio nodded. He wasn't happy about this.

Lovino shook his head and got up. "I need to get ready for work."he mumbled, leaving the room.

Antonio's eyes dimmed in concern.

Raivis noticed and spoke. "He'll be alright. It's just..it's all a really touchy subject for him. Out of us three, he caught the worst of it. He was trying to protect Feli by doing it and then he tried to protect Tor and me when we could get into a lot of trouble by taking the blame on himself."

"He's loyal."Toris said softly. "Don't screw him over, Antonio. Please don't. He needs someone who's willing to fight for him the same way he's fought for everyone else. I'm hoping that person is you."

Antonio half smiled. "I'd never screw him over."he promised. "Not if my life depended on it."

Gilbert rolled his eyes, but he was glad to hear it. He was close with Lovino. He wanted what was best for his friend as well.

They just had to figure out how to work together to get there.

**Here. Just so you know, I had a Biologie and Deutsch final exam today. That's it. And it was my last day of Schule! I am so happy about it. By the way, I need to figure out a way to do this: I want to complete this career pathway at my school - foreign languages. We have German and Spanish. I want to do it. But..I have two years left. I want to take Deutsch Drei (3) und Spanisch eins, zwei, drei und vier. But I don't know how. Any advice would be wunderbar! Danke ahead of time!**


	104. Chapter 104

**AN: Hallo! Here's the new chapter. I am currently writing this while re-watching the first two seasons of Teen Wolf, since season three comes on on Monday! I'm not sure I'm ready for it..the description for the trailer? 'This Might Hurt'. Not good. Never good.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**LaniKat84: I know. I wasn't too keen on writing that kind of chapter before now, because I found a way to twist it. And Toni..he's not disappointed that Lovi isn't telling him things. He understands it. But..Lovi will open up to him a bit more. Eventually.**

**Spamano4ever: Huh..odd.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino looked exhausted when he came in from work that day. Antonio automatically picked up on that when he walked in.

Toris shook his head and rolled his eyes. He gave Antonio a knowing look.

Antonio spoke up. "Lovi.."he said softly.

Lovino looked up and met his eyes. He gave a faint smile, disappearing to get changed. As soon as he came back, he collapsed beside Antonio, leaning against him.

Antonio half smiled, wrapping his arms around the Italian. "Get some rest,"he mumbled.

Lovino didn't respond.

As soon as Antonio felt his breathing even out, he looked up and met Toris's eyes.

Toris shook his head. "Just let him sleep. He needs it."he said softly.

Antonio nodded in silence. He hated seeing Lovino like this.

Raivis spoke softly. "You know he's not going to work himself to death now, right? He knows we won't let him."

"He's done that before?"Toris asked.

Antonio nodded. "A while back, around Christmas."

Feliciano spoke softly. "Vash kept having to cover for him because he worked himself to the point that he got physically sick."he said softly.

Toris sighed. "He doesn't know when enough is enough. Still."he grumbled.

Antonio shrugged. "He'll be okay."he promised.

Toris nodded. He knew Antonio would keep his word. He'd make sure Lovino stayed okay.

**Here. I can't focus on this right now. I've got a show to watch.**


	105. Chapter 105

**AN: Hey guys. Here's another chapter for you. I watched six hours worth of Teen Wolf already today. It's nice, that I got so far, since I had twenty-four episodes to watch in three days - the season three premere is on Monday. I'm halfway through season one. Now, thanks to a Sterek video from the Teen Wolf fandom, I'm listening to All The Way For You by Poets of the Fall while writing this. You guys should really give it a listen. It kinda fits Antonio and Lovino..very well.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, that's very true.**

**Evelynyamine: Teen Wolf.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino woke up at midnight in a slight panic. Antonio, who felt Lovino jerk forward slightly, woke up a bit. "Lovi..?"he grumbled.

Lovino sighed, settling and trying to get his heartrate to calm down again. "Go back to sleep, Toni. It's nothing."he whispered.

Antonio pulled the Italian closer to him, letting himself go back to sleep.

Lovino half smiled. He knew he wasn't easy to deal with. He was amazed that Antonio hadn't left him yet. They had their moments where he felt sure that that was where it would end. But..it seemed neither of them were willing to let go.

The following morning, Lovino woke up to Antonio explaining something.

He heard Toris sigh. "I wish he'd stop acting so closed off. We can't help him if he doesn't let us know what's going on!"

Lovino felt horrid. He knew he'd shut everyone out after he left the mafia. He didn't know what else to do.

He stayed put for a bit longer after that, acting like he was still asleep.

Raivis spoke up then. "He's trying to do everything. He _can't_ keep this up. He'll end up killing himself trying to do this. I get that he wants to protect Feli, but..he needs some help, and he needs to see that we aren't going to hurt him, no matter what he says or does."

Lovino pushed at Antonio's arms again, signalling for him to release him.

Antonio let his arms fall away from Lovino, letting the Italian get up.

Lovino got up and disappeared to his room, just wanting to get away from that conversation.

Raivis watched him go. "He heard us."he said softly. "That's the way he always reacts."

Antonio sighed. "Stay here. Both of you."he said, getting up. "I'm going to go talk to him."

"Tell him we didn't mean it like that.."Toris said softly.

Antonio nodded, disappearing after Lovino.

He paused at the door, knocking as he opened it. He could hear the quiet sobs before he even opened the door. He sighed silently, closing the door behind him and moving to sit beside Lovino on the bed.

Lovino sniffled. "Go away, Toni."he said, not even looking back at him.

"They're only worried, you know."Antonio said.

Lovino snorted softly through the tears. "They don't think I can manage on my own."he countered.

Antonio sighed. "No. They know you can. But they want to help so it's not so hard on you."

Lovino shook his head. "I don't need anyone's help! I don't want it either! I can do this on my own."

"I know you can."Antonio said, nodding in understanding.

Lovino shifted to curl up against Antonio, who wrapped his arms around him and kissed the tears still falling away gently. "You are so loved, Lovino. Just let us help you some times."

"Some help sounds nice. But if I say I want to do something on my own, let me do it on my own. Please?"

"Of course."  
_

**Here. **


	106. Chapter 106

**AN: Hey guys! Back from Jfest in East Ridge! It was amazing! More about it at the bottom...that way I don't keep you guys from the story.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: I know. It sucks writing Lovi upset, because it makes me feel really bad...**

**LaniKat84: That's fine. I'm sorry for the tension..and the fact that you were on planes all day. -shudder- I don't get how people can stand planes. Just no.. And Lovi does take too much on himself. I can see Toni trying to keep him grounded during stuff like that, though, which is what I'm attempting to portray here.**

**Enjoy!  
_**

Nobody asked when neither of the boys ventured out of Lovino's room again until late in the day. Lovino had cried himself out against Antonio and fallen asleep, and Antonio spent the time that Lovino was napping thinking. He wanted to help Lovino, because he knew how bad it was trying to provide for someone other than yourself so suddenly. He himself had done it for a few years when he was taking care of his cousin, who had run away from an abusive home.

When the two ventured out again, Toris and Raivis pulled Lovino outside to talk with him and Antonio explained to the others what was going on. Vash shook his head. "You're a miracle worker, man. He about removes my head everytime I even offer to help him out around here. The fact that he agreed so readily with you..it's nnice. Odd, yes, but still nice."

"Man, I just hope that Lovino isn't mad at Toris and Raivis."Antonio said softly. "Because...god, I don't think I could stand seeing them fight. They're all so close."

Gilbert nodded. "It's weird, seeing Lovi so close to people like that."

Raivis sighed softly. "We didn't mean for you to think that we thought you couldn't handle it alone, Lovi. It's just..you're so stressed recently..it's killing you. It's hard to watch, really it is."

Toris nodded. "I mean..sure, we'll back off..but you gotta know when enough's enough, man."  
"I got it, guys."Lovino said with a faint smile. "It's okay. It's just...you know..."

"Yeah..."

Nothing more was said on the topic. In fact, they fell silent for a while before Toris's phone went off. He opened it to see a message from Tino. He showed it to the others and grinned. "We gotta do this."he said.

Lovino looked at the phone screen before his eyes widened and he took a couple steps back. "Tor..I can't...I can't have people that close to me..."

Toris nodded in understanding. "Well..will you support us if we do it?"  
"Of course I will!"  
And the thing about it, both Toris and Raivis knew Lovino would keep his word on it. Because that's just how he was.

**So, I spent seven hours today in blistering heat and sun at Jfest. The entire time, I was walking around with a Free Hugs sign. Me and two of my friends were. It was amazing. We went from two to nine, when we had to leave. So many people were smiling and asking for hugs. It was great. I loved to see it. This once, this little girl got her father or grandfather to walk her out to me so she could get a hug. It was sweet. I loved it! But I'm sunburnt and feel like I could collapse I'm so tired. So..a week of sleep for me is in order, thank god it's summer!**


	107. Chapter 107

**AN: Here you go guys. New chapter.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: I don't recommend doing that...**

**Spamano4ever: It was. Jfest..well, it's...I'll put it down at the bottom.**

**LaniKat84: That sounds fun...O.o And I'll see what I can manage with that idea.**

**Guest: No, it's fine. See the bottom. That's where the answer shall be.**

**Enjoy!**

Still, first thing Monday morning, when Lovino walked in, Tino frowned slightly. "Something else happen this weekend, Lovi?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head as he sat down, placing his guitar case beside him. "No, no. Not at all. It's just...it's nothing."  
Tino gave him a searching look, but nodded in understanding.

Nothing more was said on the subject, and Lovino let himself drop out of the conversations around him, playing with the strap on his guitar case in silence.

Toris noticed the frown on his face, though, and stopped, speaking softly. "Lovi?"he asked. "Something going on?"

Lovino shook his head.

Raivis's eyes narrowed. He knew Lovino well enough to know he was lying. "Something happened on your way here. I _told_ you you shouldn't've stayed back a bit. You should've just walked with us."he said.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Raiv, _nothing happened._ At all. Can't a guy just have a bit of silence every now and again?"  
"Not with that deep of a frown, they can't."Raivis said, eyes lit up in concern. "Lovi, you spent half of your time in the mafia trying to keep Tor and me from getting killed and keeping Feli safe. Let us return the favor now, would you?"  
Lovino's eyes flashed, but he shook his head. "No."he said. "I did what I did because I had to. You guys aren't doing shit to return the favor. I'd rather you not."

With that, he got up again, grabbed his guitar case, and went to leave.

Toris caught his wrist carefully though, keeping him there. "Lovino, just stop and hear us out."

Lovino froze. He shook his head, yanking his wrist from Toris's grasp. He ignored the fact that by doing so, he managed to hit the other male, and walked away.

Toris stared after him in shock. This wasn't like Lovino.

Antonio went to get up to go after him, but Vash grabbed him.

"No. Let him go, Toni. He'll come back when he's ready to talk."

Antonio nodded, looking over at Toris. "You alright?"

Toris nodded. "Yeah. Just a bit surprised."  
But his tone didn't make it sound like he was alright.

Raivis stepped in then. "Lovi's never done something like that to us. He's always stopped and listened, even if he didn't like it. And he's never hit us, on purpose or otherwise. He's always made sure never to."

Antonio nodded. "Well, hey..we'll get this worked out, alright?"

Toris shook his head with a faint smile. "Don't worry about it. Lovino always apologizes for stuff like that when he realizes. He'll be back around to talk soon. Besides, he needs a bit alone anyways."

When Lovino didn't show up with the group again that day, both Raivis and Toris got a bit squirmy. The last time this had happened...

Vash shook his head and called Lovino, placing his phone on speaker.

Lovino's voice was shaking when he answered. "Vash..?"he asked.

Vash's own concern flared up then. "Lovi, where are you?"

"Auditorium."Lovino answered.

"Stay put."

With that, Vash hung up and grabbed his bag, digging through it. "Damn it."he mumbled, letting the bag drop. He got up and disappeared.

Feliciano watched him leave with wide eyes.

Antonio raised an eyebrow.

Toris spoke. "He's having a panic attack, isn't he?"he asked.

Feliciano nodded. "Yeah. Vash always keeps an inhaler with him in case Lovi has one..and I guess he forgot it or something.."

"Huh?"Gilbert asked around his sandwich.

Raivis spoke. "If you treat a panic attack like an athsma attack it goes away faster."

Gilbert nodded.

Silence fell until Vash brough Lovino back. The Italian was pale and leaning against Vash, who was speaking softly to him.

When Lovino took a seat beside Antonio, the Spaniard kissed his forehead and murmured a soft 'Te amo' to him, but otherwise just let him rest.

Toris sighed. This was going to be a long day.

**Alright. Here.**

**Now. Jfest. It's a Christian concert thing they have every year in June. There's one in Atlanta and one in East Ridge near where I live, so...yeah. But I went with my church group - there weren't many people from my church going - but it was great. **


	108. Chapter 108

**AN: Here guys.**

**Just so you know, I recently just finished watching the season 3 premiere of Teen Wolf. Dang, not a calm moment. I'm also half asleep. My mom had me take a PM before the episode because of my sunburn, which hurts. Really badly.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Yeah.**

**LaniKat84: It was fun. The people there were so kind. Well, most of them were anyways. I've had panic attacks since..god, my sixth grade year. It's become so normal that my teachers just let me get up and walk out until I'm okay again. It's sad, but it's life. They are cuties, aren't they?**

**Evelylamine; Indeed.**

**Enjoy.**

After the panic attack, Lovino seemed content to sleep the rest of the day. Nobody bothered him. Antonio took him home after lunch. He knew that the panic attack had taken a lot out of the Italian. Toris and Raivis let him be, not wanting to bother him too much.

Antonio was sitting beside Lovino's bed when the others got back. Lovino was still sound asleep.

Vash sighed. "I already called his boss and told him he won't be in today,"he said softly.

Antonio nodded in thanks. "Vash..? Is he going to be okay? He hasn't woke up yet."

Vash looked at Lovino. "I don't know. These panic attacks..they don't happen often. He'll be asleep for a while longer, at least through tonight and tomorrow morning. But..he should be okay."

"I'd like to stay tomorrow to keep an eye on him."Antonio said.

"Okay."

The following morning, Vash stopped to check on the two, only to find Antonio still sitting in a kitchen chair beside Lovino's bed, fast asleep.

Vash smiled faintly in surprise at the scene. He didn't wake either of them, just left in silence.

When Antonio woke up, it was to see Lovino still fast asleep. He seemed calmer when he was asleep. He didn't have a mask up. Still, it worried him, Lovino being asleep still. Even with what Vash said the evening before, it was weird for Lovino to stay asleep this long.

Antonio was back asleep when the other made it back, but Lovino was waking up slowly. Vash stopped to check in and smiled faintly. "Hey, guys."he said, just loud enough to rouse them from their sleep.

Antonio half smiled. "Hey."

Lovino mumbled a curse and rolled over.

Vash rolled this eyes and looked at Antonio. "Keep an eye on him. And get some actual sleep. You couldn't've slept well last night in that chair."

Antonio shrugged.

Lovino looked at Antonio, scooting so he could lay with him.

Once they were situated, Vash left. He knew them well enough to know when they wanted to be alone.

**Bed time. Also..I need to finish my research on the trikele. I'm curious. Damned Teen Wolf. Derek has a tattoo of it on his back, and it's constantly referenced in the show.**


	109. Chapter 109

**AN: Here ya go, guys!**

**To Those Who Reviewed: **

**LaniKat84: Yeah. It's completely understandable.**

**ThatRandomReview: It's okay. The only reason it's still going strong now is because I don't plan it ahead of time like most artists. I write what I have inspiration for, leave out what I don't. It's a program that someone taught me a while back, when I first got into writing. Can't remember who, but..it's useful. Glad you like it! And also..I dunno..I've found a Harry Potter story that I like, that's amazing in my opinion, that's nearing a hundred - it's a Marauder's era story, though. Sirius Black's Hogwarts Adventure. It's amazing. And Cub..that one's getting up there too. Both are amazing.**

**Spamano4ever: Read? Where can you **_**read **_**it? I've only ever got to watch it! And yeah.**

**Evelynyamine: Glad you thought so.**

**Penguin Braginski: Glad you like it!**

**Enjoy.**

The next time Vash checked in on the two, it was to find them curled up together on the bed, sound asleep. Lovino had his head resting on Antonio's chest, and Antonio had his arms wrapped tightly around Lovino, as if trying to protect him from anything that could possibly want to hurt him. He smiled faintly at the scene. It was sweet.

He shook his head and went back to the living room with the others. "Both of them are still sound asleep."he told them as he took a seat.

Toris smiled faintly. "Toni's good for him."he said quietly. "He's very protective."  
"Aren't we all.."Matthew said. "I know it bothers Lovino a lot sometimes that we're all so protective of him, especially Antonio..but it's adorable that Toni's so worried about him.

The following morning, Lovino was up before anyone else. By the time everyone else was up and moving, breakfast was finished.

It was rather quiet through breakfast, through getting ready for school. The walk to school, however, was anything but quiet. They were laughing and joking aorund with each other a lot.

Things were back to normal, and they were all very thankful for that.

Throughout the day, things seemed a bit more normal. Like none of the past few months had really happened. Sure, the evidence was still there that it had happened, but it didn't feel like it had. It all felt like it had been a horrid nightmare instead of reality. But isn't that what reality was? A nightmare? Lovino thought so. For the most part.

Now, as he was talking and laughing with Antonio and the others at lunch, he didn't think so as much. Now, reality seemed pretty okay. Not too bad, but not too good.

Antonio gave him a soft smile and drew him into the conversation, away from his thoughts. He also pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Yeah. Things were back to normal. Toris only hoped it stayed that way. Because knowing this group, they could all use some 'normal' for a little while. It would be a nice change. Because recently, it had been constant drama. And that was exhausting for everyone, involved in it or not.

And now that things had finally begun to go good for the Vargas brothers, Toris couldn't help but wonder when the next storm would hit them. Because it was never good for long. Ever. It never worked that way.

He just hoped and prayed to whatever god was listening that they had a while before the next storm would hit. So they could prepare for the worst.

**Sorry it's so short. I'm exhausted right now.**

**I'll try to update a new one, a longer one, tomorrow or the next day. Depends on my schedule. I have a book to finish that's due back to the library on Thursday - Mark of Athena. I want to finish it. I'm about halfway through it now. So much to read..**


	110. Chapter 110

**AN: GUYS! Guess what today is! It's Denmark's birthday! And yes, I've had a lot of sugar, and no sleep yet. **

**Anyways..**

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: Um..thanks? I don't think that's supposed to be a good thing, though. That's normally a bad thing. A very bad thing.**

**Anyways...a very happy birthday to Denmark.**

**Enjoy.**

Their normal was thrown off balance before the day's end. Lovino had went to work like normal, but as soon as he came in, he'd managed to find an argument with Antonio. Because honestly, he was working too hard to be good for himself, and Antonio was worried for his boyfriend, who was already on the verge of collapsing.

This argument was what started it.

"If it bothers you so much, then fucking help me, but stop _complaining_ that I work too much, because I have to in order for Feli and me to survive, even with our mom back around!"Lovino shouted.

Feliciano covered his ears tighter and buried his head against Ludwig's chest. He _hated_ when they fought. It was worse than the fights between their parents.

Antonio sighed. "Lovi..how am I supposed to help when you won't let me do anything to help? I've tried, and every single time, you've told me not to. Even if you ask for help before then."

He tried to keep his voice calm, quiet, but Lovino shook his head.

"Don't even..."

After that, Lovino threw himself into his work much more. It worried everyone, because they could see the toll it had on Lovino. They could tell he was killing himself by doing this.

As such, it was really no surprise when one day, a couple weeks later, even after Antonio and Lovino made up, the Italian collapsed one day after school.

Antonio caught him easily and picked him up, carrying him to where he could lay him down and let Vash examine him.

Vash immediately ushered everyone else away from Lovino and kneeled down beside him, quickly finding his pulse. He shook his head and sighed. "I swear, I'm going to kill him. Toni, c'mon. I'm taking him up to the hospital. Let them deal with him, since we don't have the equiptment or medication he's going to need when he wakes up."he said, immediately picking Lovino up.

Antonio rode in the back with Lovino's head in his lap. It was a silent ride. Vash was speeding slightly. But Antonio said nothing about it to him. He was too worried for Lovino to really care very much about it.

For the next couple of days, the group drifted in and out, checking on Lovino. Antonio stayed stationary in the hospital, staying with Lovino, only leaving to go get a shower and changed everyday before returning. It hurt, seeing Lovino hooked up to machines. Beeps constantly filled the room, showing everyone Lovino's heartbeat. It was steady, if a bit too slow to be normal.

Kaoru drifted in with Emil a few hours after Antonio came back and got situated beside Lovino's bed.

"Overexhaustion caused him to slip, huh?"Kaoru asked softly.

Antonio didn't spare him a look, but nodded. "Yeah. He's been in and out. Never said anything, but he's been awake a bit."

Emil frowned. "It's weird, you know."he said. "Seeing Lovi hooked up to machines to keep track of his heart rate and to help him breathe. He's always been the strongest willed person of our group."

Antonio looked over at him and nodded. "Yeah."he said softly. "And I guess..in a way, that's the reason, too."

A coughing fit from Lovino startled Antonio from his calm stupor and made him turn quick enough to gain a whiplash. He calmed again when Lovino caught his breath again and returned to a stotic state.

Kaoru examined Antonio. "How are you doing?"

Antonio sighed. "I don't know. Ask me again when I'm not sitting beside my near-comatose boyfriend in a hospital."he said. "I should have an answer then."

Kaoru nodded. "I know it's hard, seeing someone you care so much for in such a state. But you'll end up killing yourself if you keep this up. Have you even ate anything recently?"

"Yeah. A bit. I eat when I go to change and stuff, and then once here when they're making sure everything's set for the night."Antonio answered.

Emil spoke. "Well, we gotta get back to the others. But if you need anything, call one of us."

Antonio nodded, but he didn't seem to be paying much attention.

Lovino didn't wake for the next couple of days, and when he did, it was to Antonio's quiet sobs and broken whispers.

"You have to be okay, Lovi..you have to."

Lovino squeezed on Antonio's hand slightly, drawing the Spaniard's attention. "Lovi! You're awake!"

What got the Italian was that Antonio didn't try to wipe the tears away. He wasn't ashamed of letting Lovino see him like that. Not like Lovino was.

That day turned out to be the most hectic for them. For better or for worse, they didn't know. Not at all.

**So. The thing with this is..one of my cousins, Dani, has managed this before. He overworked himself to the point where he was in the hospital for a good two months. In and out of consciousness. So, that's where this is coming from. I'm no doctor, but I'm decent with observations.**


	111. Chapter 111

**AN: I should go ahead and warn you. I am on an angst fest right now. I just finished Mark of Athena. My feels have been shot straight into Tartarus. Proceed with caution, just in case that leaks into this.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Evelylamine: Don't die!**

**Spamano4ever: (C109) Dang it. Thanks anyways. And yeah, I thought it'd be nice to have one of those moments.. (C110) And now you see why.**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino _hated_ hospitals. They held too many bad memories to be good to him. He raised a hand to the tube that was helping him breathe. He grasped it, like he wanted to remove it, but Antonio caught his hand and shook his head. "Please don't.."he said.

The thing that made Lovino follow along with Antonio was the fact that the tears still hadn't stopped and Antonio's words were still broken.

"Right, so, I have the discharge papers ready and signed, so, as soon as we can get Mr. Vargas unhooked, then he's allowed to go home."

The nurse's voice startled both boys, but Lovino was glad for the news.

Antonio was much more gentle than the nurse seemed to be as he removed the wires from his boyfriend and helped him up. He turned his back and allowed Lovino to get dressed in silence.

Lovino brushed Antonio's shoulder on his stumbled path to the door. "C'mon, bastardo, let's go home."

Antonio caught him just before he fell. "One step at a time, Lovi."

The nurse smiled at this and disappeared, allowing the boys to leave.

The entire way home, Lovino was tearing at the bracelet around his left wrist, trying to remove it. "Damn it, what do they use on these fucking things, superglue?"

Antonio looked over and rolled his eyes. "Just leave it on for a while, we're almost home."

"No, I want it off. Now."Lovino said, examining the plastic on it, trying to figure out how to remove it.

Antonio glanced at him for a moment before he returned his full attention to the road.

As soon as they pulled up and were out of the car, Antonio paused to help Lovino get the hospital band off his wrist.

Once it was off, Lovino was okay. He calmed down quite a bit.

Nobody bothered to pause and ask questions when the entered. Feliciano nearly tackled both of them in hugs.

Things settled down a bit. Lovino was given leave to recover from his trip to the hospital, and he was ordered on bed rest the entire time by Vash.

So, the first day he was able to go to school, it wasn't a surprise to him that he stumbled and fell quite a few times before they ever left the Vargas household. Antonio tried to catch him every time, but failed a couple times, and once ended up on the ground with him.

Vash sighed. This was going to be interesting. And not in a good way. No, of course not. Nothing was going good recently. Nothing.

Throughout the day, Lovino got better about it balance. He seemed a bit more tired than usual, and the group let him nap during their lunch and through their 'free period' brought on by an assembly that day. He needed it, since he had work that evening as well.

At work, Lovino had a lot of people saying how glad they were he was better. A lot of customers gave him soft smiles and said something along the lines of, 'glad you're okay, take it easy from now on'. Word had spread quickly. It kind of annoyed him, but he was glad nonetheless. People cared. It was different. For him, at least.

**So, the bad news? I spent a day at the hospital today. As well as finished reading Mark of Athena. I don't know which I hated more. But...yeah..not fun. I'm still stuck with my bracelet. I can't get the damned thing off. Oh well, not worth the fight.**


	112. Chapter 112

**AN: Hey guys. Here's the new chapter. I finally got back around to updating my PJO story. It'd been a while, and since I finished Mark of Athena recently, I had some inspiration for it again. Check it out if you want. It's probably OOC, but..I did as well as I could, and am still writing on it between this and my Teen Wolf story.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**Guest: Yeah, I'm alright now. Just a slight scare. One of my cousins just startled me a bit during Judo and weapons training. Meh, Dani, one of my elder cousins, got it off of me. He took a mini sword to it. I believe it is made of Titanium, though. Glad you liked the chapter!**

**Spamano4ever: It's okay. Dani did. After I broke a pair of scissors trying to do it without cutting myself with them. Scared the shit out of me doing so..bloody git got a mini sword out and used it. Because he wanted to scare some sense into me. It is cute. Imagining that scene as I wrote it really made me smile. **

**Enjoy.**

Lovino was still smiling slightly when he got home from work that day, making Antonio grin. "Good day at work?"  
"Kind of."

Antonio nodded and smiled, watching Lovino disappear to get changed.

As soon as the Italian came back, he curled up beside Antonio.

Antonio kissed Lovino's cheek. "So..wanna tell us what happened?"  
Lovino shrugged. "People at work just surprised me, is all."he said softly.

Antonio nodded in understanding then. He wasn't surprised to hear this.

Nobody seemed too bothered with Lovino's silence when he fell silent. It had become normal. He'd zone out at random moments, coming back around sometime after the coversation had passed. They'd learned to expect it.

Still, things were calm again fro a change, so they were determined to keep it that way.

Lovino had been the first one asleep that night, and was the first one awake the following morning.

It was odd, how normal this routine had become for the Italian, who was normally scattered through millions of different routines due to work and school.

Even so, Lovino was glad it was normal now. It was far too stressful to be on different schedules due to work and school and stuff.

This way was easier.

Much easier.

**Short, I know. I'm sorry.**


	113. Chapter 113

**AN: Here ya go guys. Sorry for the shortness of the previous chapter. I just got back around to working on this after working on a PJO story for a while. Blame Mark of Athena for killing my feels and making me need to write on Trials and Tribulations. **

**By the way, are any of the rest of you fellow demigods? If so, I'd love to know who your godly parent is!**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Glad you liked it! And thanks! I actually **_**am**_** a Daughter of Hermes. The Kretari part is just my Therian name.**

**ThatRandomReview: For now. You know that never lasts long! And it's fine. **

**Enjoy. **

School was shaping up to be a disaster for the group. Lovino had already gotten into a couple of verbal sparing matches with some of the jocks over something they said around him about Raivis and Toris, who were like brothers to him.

Antonio didn't get it. Why didn't people get the hint and leave the entire group alone.

Right now, they were sitting at lunch, waiting for Lovino to get back from the principal's office.

It was about halfway through the lunch period before Lovino showed up, normal scowl in place. "Suspended for a week."he said. "I get to finish the day. The guys who were harrassing Tor and Raiv got off free. Said I had no proof."he said when he sat down to questioning looks.

"I wish you'd let us handle it ourselves, Lovi."Toris said softly. "It's not your problem."

Lovino shrugged.

This was so not his best day. Lovino was still in a pissy mood from lunch, and then some douche in his english class went and made it worse. He didn't respond to it, and the teacher called the kid out on it, but still. Lovino just...he was sick of these people.

But he wouldn't leave. He had to take care of Feliciano. Of course he wouldn't leave.

Even so, Lovino couldn't help but think, the mafia is better than some of these kids.

Lovino still wasn't smiling and cutting up when he joined the others outside after school.

Antonio frowned at that revealation. He hated that people were so mean to the group. They'd done nothing to deserve it. He was going to fix it.

The following morning, things got off to a rocky start at school. Antonio approached the guys who'd been giving Toris and Raivis trouble and told them to back the hell off. They weren't keen on doing it, and the situation that Antonio found himself in was easy to twist.

By the end of first period, they weren't in school anymore, and Lovino was able to come back the following day. He felt completely proud of himself for managing to pull it off and not blank and the douches.

Raivis had called Lovino and told him what had happened, leading to Antonio getting attacked with both hugs and hits when they got back to the Vargas household.

Still, it was better than nothing.

**Hey, any demigods who read this, please send me a message, I have a couple of things I want to run by you guys that I've been roped into this month.**

**Thank you. Hope you enjoyed. **

**~Kretari, Daughter of Hermes.**


	114. Chapter 114

**AN: And I know I stopped updating...man..I gotta stop doing that. But anyway..here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: ...Yeah, I could tell..**

**ThatRandomReview: Of course he is! That's what makes him our Lovi! And naturally...Toni would be there. But still, don't you believe that draws a bit more trouble?**

**Natalya. the. Awesome: Don't know...don't know what demigods are? You, my friend need to study some mythology! Demigods are the half-blood children of the Greek/Roman gods and a mortal! I won't go into it, because...yeah, just because..but my reasoning was very important, yes. It's a Percy Jackson thing...and yes, the last chapter was kind of a filler chapter. Had to happen in order for me to get to this point. Yeah..**

**Enjoy.**

Lovino really was not in the best mood. He hated early mornings. He hated them even more when the first thing he comes upon in school is drama. When he showed up, a bit late from hanging back to make sure everything was back in order at home, it was to find Gilbert and Matthew arguing over something. Normally, that wasn't too serious. But this time, it was most definitely not their normal joking spat. This time, it was an actual _arguement._ Lovino dropped his bag and pulled Gilbert up and away harshly, giving Antonio a look that said to talk with Matthew in the meantime.

As soon as they were a good distance away, Lovino stopped and turned to look at the Prussian. "What the hell, Gil? You're arguing with Matt now?"he demanded. "What happened? I've never seen you guys _not_ being sweet on each other."

Gilbert held his hands up in surrender at the glare that Lovino had him fixed with. "Sorry, my bad."he grumbled.  
Lovino caught him when he went to walk away. "What happened."

There was no way out of this, Gilbert realized. As such, he spoke. "Nothing."he said softly. "It's like with Toni and you. I tried to defend him when someone said something about him to where I could hear, and he went off about it. Sorry. I'll fix it, just let me _go._"

Lovino gave him a searching look before he pushed Gilbert back. "Fine. But don't argue over stupid shit this early in the day. It'll ruin everyone's day, because you two are the ones who are _always_ happy and trying to ease the tension."

Gilbert nodded and returned to his seat.

When Matthew looked away from him, Gilbert spoke softly. "Mattie..."

Lovino sat down beside Antonio and huffed, glowering at the two.

Antonio took one of his hands, but remained silent.

It took a while, but by lunch, Gilbert had managed to talk Matthew into forgiving him and things went back to normal again. It let the entire group relax again.

Toris spoke softly. "So. This weekend. What's the plan?"he asked.

Antonio spoke up then. "Well...there's a festival going on in the town square. We could go to that or something."he said softly.

They spoke over it for a moment before they agreed.  
Lovino still hadn't said anything as to if he would go or not, though. Antonio looked at Lovino then to find the Italian chewing his bottom lip in thought.

Feliciano spoke up. "Lovi? Aren't you coming with us?"

Lovino looked at his brother. "I'll have to meet you guys there...I have to work the day of the festival. It'll be overtime in the restruant due to the large amount of people in town and stuff."

Antonio sighed. "I really wish you'd let me help you and Feli..."he said softly.

Lovino shook his head. "No."he said. "Not happening."

Feliciano pouted. "But you'll be there?"

Lovino nodded, smiling at his brother. "Of course, idiota. I wouldn't miss it. I'll meet you guys sometime around one, after I get off and changed and everything."

While the others were hesitant to go without Lovino, the elder Italian insisted on it. As such, not wanting any arguments, they agreed to it.

The group spent the rest of their lunch, as well as most of the walk home, figuring out exactly what they were going to do at the festival.

About halfway home, Antonio snuck up on Lovino, who was looking up at the sky in thought. Ludwig noticed and went to say something, but thought better of it and watched.

Antonio grinned, picking Lovino up in a hug and making the Italian squeal in surprise.  
"Toni! Put me down!"

Antonio laughed softly, and Lovino was smiling softly as well.

As soon as he was back on his feet, Lovino stole a kiss, then rolled his eyes. "Idiot."

"Oh, you know you love me."Antonio said softly.

Feliciano smiled softly at the scene.

It was just a normal day for the group. They were used to the randomness that came with Antonio and Lovino's relationship. It was something all of the couples in the group had. It's what made them a bit more unique.

**And here you go. **

**~Kretari, daughter of Hermes.**


	115. Chapter 115

**AN: Hey, guys! Good news on my part - I finally get to shift my image. I've been trying to get the nerve to for **_**years**_** now, but I was too scared I'd get into huge trouble at school for it..and the principal already hates me, he didn't need any more shit against me, ya know? I got to thinking recently...ya know, it's time for a change, I'm sick of being the freaking victim and crap. So...yeah, I'll try to keep updated here..and if you have any suggestions for me on the change...let me know, I'd appreciate ideas, since I've gotten about as far as deciding I need a change. Since it's summer, I have a chance to do it, too. Finally.**

**Anyways, on with business. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Glad you liked it!**

**ThatRandomReview: Of course he wouldn't! That's blasphemy!**

**LaniKat84: Glad you liked it! **

**Enjoy. **

Sometime during the middle of that evening, Lovino's phone rang. He answered it, laughing softly at something that Gilbert was doing. They'd all been acting crazy, since they were hanging out without worries again for a change. "Ciao, Lovino speaking!"he said into the phone.

He paused and tilted his head, an eyebrow raised. This made everyone fall silent to listen.

Lovino grinned at Feliciano, then spoke. "Yeah, sure I can. Thanks for letting me know!"

After he hung up, he gave the group a soft smile. "So, did you guys know they're asking for people to perform and stuff tomorrow at school? In the cafeteria, at lunch. Everyone's going to be outside. It's something they're doing because it's the last week before we have a break."

Gilbert smiled. "They asked you to perform, didn't they?"  
Lovino nodded. "They sure did."he said. "And I have something I wanted to run by you and Francis, Gil, because of it."

Francis nodded for him to go ahead.

Things settled quite a bit then and Lovino spoke. "You guys remember all those parties and stuff we went to all the time back a couple years ago?"

The two nodded.

"Think it's okay for me to pull on those times? Because I have an idea for a song and I need something to pull on for it."

Francis smiled faintly. "Go for it, but don't get into trouble. Toni seriously just got you out of trouble yesterday."

Feliciano spoke. "What's the song?"he asked.

Lovino gave him a soft smile. "Can't tell ya that, Feli, it'd ruin the surprise. Let's just say nonno wouldn't be happy with me if he heard it."

Nobody bothered Lovino about it the rest of that night.

The following morning was quiet for the longest. Lovino had disappeared to his room to get his guitar.

Once he came back, the morning started moving a lot quicker.

Vash had wished him luck as soon as they had to split to go to first block. It wasn't the best idea, since Lovino had already been stressing out over it that morning.

By lunch, Lovino was ready to have it done and overwith. He hated performing in front of the school as it was. This was just torture. The good thing was, they waited until everyone had thrown their trays away and stuff to get started.

Lovino was the first one to be called up onstage.

It was then that the others wished him lunch.

As soon as he was onstage and had met his group's eyes, he calmed down immensely.

He smiled softly and finished tuning his guitar in silence. As soon as he had it tuned and hooked up, he started.

"_Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs, with the boom box blaring as we're falling in love, got a bottle of whatever but it's getting us drunk singing here's to never growing up."_

Gilbert and Francis both laughed softly. Of course it'd be something like this.

The others smiled faintly as well.

"_Call up all our freinds, go hard this weekend, for no damn reason, I don't think we'll ever change. Meet you at the spot, half past ten o'clock we don't ever stop, and we're never gonna change. Say, won't you stay forever Stay, if you stay forever Hey, we can stay forever young."_

Matthew smiled at Lovino and nudged Antonio knowingly.

The Spaniard rolled his eyes, but smiled goodnaturedly.

"_We'll be running down the street, yelling 'Kiss my ass!' I'm like yeah whatever, we're still living like that, when the sun's going down, we'll be raising our cups singing here's to never growing up."_

Ludwig could see that the teachers were less than happy with Lovino for what he was performing, but none of the students were objecting to it. Quite a few were clapping along, actually. It was surprising to him.

"_This is who we are, I don't think we'll ever change. They say just grow up, but they don't know us. We don't give a fuck and we're never gonna change."_

When Lovino finished, he unhooked the guitar and went back to his group, putting the guitar back in it's case. He laughed softly as Gilbert pulled him into a hug. "Why the hell didn't you tell us that's what you were planning?"

"Better as a surprise."Lovino said.

Ludwig spoke then. "I don't think the teachers are too happy with you for that, Lovino."he commented, looking over at the teachers.

Lovino followed his gaze before shrugging. "Oh well. They can't do anything to me."

"Except have you expelled."Ludwig pointed out.

Lovino snorted. "They won't though. Because they know that the minute they do, I take Feliciano with me and leave. Feli's one of the ones who've been bringing so much positive press to this school, they don't want to lose it."he said softly.

Gilbert shook his head. "Man...I think you nailed our group with that, Lovino."he said softly while they waited for the next person to go up.

Lovino shrugged. "Naturally."

Antonio smiled softly and pulled Lovino to him. "Let's try not to get into too much trouble, okay? That way we can cause a bit of trouble at the festival."

Lovino smirked at the others. "And we've corrupted him."he said, then turned to look at Antonio. "I love that idea."

Antonio grinned and stole a kiss.

Nobody else said anything because the next person was onstage.

It was odd, trying to convince their mom to let them do something, Lovino realized. He'd been begging for the last hour for her to let Feli and him go to the festival. Still, she was saying no. She'd gotten a call earlier about the performance and was not happy about it.

"Why not?"Lovino finally asked again.

"Because, Lovino."Emiliana all but screamed. "I don't want a son who goes and pulls a stunt like that. You _know_ better. Your nonno raised you better than that! And now to find out that you've gone and basically killed every rule in that school...you want me to allow you to go to that festival. No."

Lovino withdrew like he'd been hit. "I was trying to be nice for a change by asking to go. Today at school? It was nothing. Just a fun song for the beginning of break. If the fucking teachers are too stupid to see that, then it's their own fault and they need to find a new damn job. It's not their choice what I listen to or perform, and they have no right to tell me anything, they don't have any sort of control over me. I'm not going to listen to them tell me to 'grow up' when I've done nothing but do that to keep Feli safe after you and dad abandoned us, Mother. You know I've drank before and everything. You want to know why? It was because of you. You and dad. It let me forget for once in my motherfucking life."

The others in the group winced when they heard it. The two had been in the kitchen for a while now, and the yelling told them enough.

Something was said in a low tone to the point they couldn't understand. They understood Lovino's response though.

"_Fine."_

When Lovino came out of the kitchen, he immediately went to his room.

They could hear things being thrown about in hast.

Antonio got up and went after him.

He sighed when he saw Lovino finally fall to his knees on the floor after catching his hand against the metal door that led to his closet. Antonio had always wondered why it wasn't wood, but looking at the walls told him that it was to keep Lovino from punching it in anger and putting holes through it.

He moved to kneel beside Lovino, drawing him into a hug. "What's going on?"

Lovino didn't respond to the question. He just pushed himself up again. "I'm sick of sharing a house with her. She keeps trying to control how Feli and me live our lives. That's not her job anymore. It hasn't been since Nonno adopted us. It will never be her job again."

"So you're leaving?"Antonio asked.

"Yeah."

Antonio sighed. "Where will you go?"

Lovino stopped then. "I don't know. But anywhere's better than here."he said.

Antonio sighed. "Listen...you and Feli come stay with me until we work something else out, okay?"

"Toni, no..."

Antonio caught his hands gently. "You keep getting hurt here, so come stay with me, both of you. You said you can't stay with your mom, so..."

Lovino shook his head. "You don't get it. She _knows_ what I've gone through, she knows I grew up too fast. She knows I'm going to pull stunts like the performance at school to try to be a kid my age again. And she gets mad about it. But I'm not letting you get yourself pulled into it."

"Too late."Antonio said. "I was pulled into it when she said she didn't accept you for you. Nobody gets to say that about my boyfriend without me getting involved. So let me help. Unless you can get her to see reason about the performance."

Lovino shook his head. "No. It's been made more than clear to me that she doesn't want me as her son, so I'm not going to reach out to make amends this time."

"Then let me help. Just until you two get your own place."

Lovino hesitated, then nodded.

Antonio kissed his cheek before he went back to the others. Emiliana had left, so Antonio told them the plan softly.

Feliciano got up to go get packed as well.

Gilbert shook his head. "I don't get why she does this to them, knowing all that's gone on in their lives. She knows how bad Lovino had it, she knows he never gets to act like a normal teen. She doesn't need to go off the wall when he does something as small as a fucking performance at school. He could've done worse."

That evening, the group shifted to Antonio's house. It was almost completely empty of any decoration on the inside, making it seem empty.

"Home sweet home,"Antonio mumbled.

While they'd discussed hanging out there before, none of them ever had. They'd found new places to hang out instead.

Lovino frowned at the empty feeling. "You live here alone?"he said.

Antonio nodded. "Yep."he said. "Ran away from home a few years back, stayed with an old friend until I could afford to buy my own place and stuff."

Lovino tilted his head, looking around. "Well, let's see if we can't make it seem more like a home, then."he said softly, noticing the fireplace. He went out for a while, gathering wood bits from the back before coming in again and building a fire in the fireplace. Once it was lit, it gave the room a friendlier feel to it. The group got to work unpacking boxes and bringing stuff from the attic. It was a good distraction, and as soon as they were done, they all agreed it felt more like a home.

**Here you go. By the way...Here's To Never Growing Up by Avril Lavigne was the song used in this chapter. I just listened to it for the first time today and thought it fit what I wanted to do pretty well. So...yeah, hope you liked it!**

**~Kretari, daughter of Hermes.**


	116. Chapter 116

**AN: So. I know it's been a while since the last update. I just..I had one of my little relapses. It took a while to get to a point to where I could function again. Don't worry, I'm okay. Here's the new chapter.**

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: Yeah, I get it...**

**Spamano4ever: Understandable. I thought so too. And seeing as he hangs around with Gilbert and Francis? It worked out pretty well, honestly. **

**Penguin Braginski: You'll understand her soon enough. I promise.**

**Evelynyamine: Thou shall see soon enough..**

**Enjoy.**

Sometime long after the others had gone to sleep, Antonio finally decided that Lovino and him really needed to talk.  
Lovino was watching over his little brother carefully, looking more broken than Antonio could remember seeing him.

"Lovi?"Antonio asked quietly.

Lovino looked over at him, and Antonio gave him a soft smile.

"C'mere."

It seemed Lovino already knew it was coming, because he just nodded and moved to sit next to Antonio in front of the still lit fire. Even with the warmth of the fire, the chill in the house was enough to make Lovino shiver, Antonio noticed. He smiled faintly and pulled Lovino to him before wrapping a blanket around both of them.

Lovino smiled softly and let his head rest against Antonio's shoulder gently. "Thank you."

Antonio sighed. "I don't get why your mom treats you the way she does.."he said softly.

A moment's silence passed between them before Lovino spoke. "Listen, Toni...she really does care for Feli and me. I know it doesn't seem like it..but she does. Like I said before, she knows what I did, she knows what I've gone through. She doesn't like it..that's part of why she reacted so adversely to the _boyfriend_ thing. She doesn't want us to get hurt. But she's right. I don't need to do stuff like that performace. It could still very easily get me killed. Because there are still people out there who absolutely despise me and would use anything they could get to their advantage."  
Antonio sighed, kissing Lovino's forehead. "She's not right about you."he said softly.

They fell silent after that, and eventually, Lovino fell asleep.

Antonio smiled and shifted so they could lay down before drifting himself.

The following morning was one of the worst ones yet. The group woke to find Lovino gone. Antonio found the note laying beside him and picked it up, reading through it in silence. He looked up at Feliciano, who was watching him with teary eyes.

"He just needed some time alone. It says he'll be back by tonight."Antonio said.

The day was one of the worst for the group. It drug on without Lovino around. Antonio withdrew from the others as well, spending all his time re-reading the note Lovino left. Matthew finally spoke up when everyone else was outside. "He's not coming back tonight is he?"

Antonio looked up at Matthew and shrugged. "I don't know."

By midnight, Feliciano seemed to realize his brother wouldn't be back that night and finally let himself break down.

Ludwig drew him into a comforting hug.

Still, around three, Lovino came back in, looking emotionally drained.

Feliciano shot himself into his brother's arms. "Where were you!"he asked.

Lovino sighed. "I just needed some time to think, Feli."

Feliciano nodded, but didn't release Lovino for a while.

Things settled after that, and the group fell back into routine. It was different, though. Lovino seemed a bit more distant, lost in thought. Antonio wanted to ask, but didn't. He knew Lovino didn't want to talk. Or else he would have started already.

_This is going to be a long night,_ Antonio thought with a slight frown as he watched his boyfriend.

**Here. Now, if you need me, I shall be hiding away from everyone again.**


	117. Chapter 117

**AN: So, guys, I need to be honest with you I have to get this out there before I continue on with the new chapter and stuff, okay? I am currently trying to get some help from someone besides a psychologist (Because they're fucking pricks who only supply you with medications that you can kill yourself with so they get paid, trust me, been there.). I'm trying to recover from a bad relapse in my depression and PTSD. I've started cutting again, and have started seeking a bit of help from my close friends, as I trust them with my life..so, I'm sorry that the updates have been so scattered. But that is my reason. I try not to write when I get like that because when I relapse, it over-runs into **_**everything,**_** and the end result of me trying to write during a bad day is going to be hell for all of us. Just know that this is why. I have not lost my inspiration for this, I am just having a few difficulties of my own right now with life and am trying to get to even ground again. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Evelynyamine: Yes. You do. This chapter.**

**Spamano4ever: Of course. I don't know which yet, but one of them will find out what's wrong, either this chapter of the next.**

**Enjoy. **

Antonio watched Lovino throughout the night. He seemed a bit different from before. He was speaking much less, and had yet to give anything resembling a smile or laugh to anyone despite all their best efforts.

Eventually, he allowed himself to drift off, knowing he wouldn't get anything out of Lovino that night.

The following morning, Antonio woke to find that Lovino still hadn't moved from his seat in front of the window from last night. He sighed and moved to sit beside him, taking one of his hands in his own.

Lovino looked over at him in silence before he sighed and cuddled up to him.

Antonio stayed quiet and let him stay there.

After a while, he finally spoke. "..where were you yesterday, Lovi?"he asked. "We were all worried..."

"I'm sorry."Lovino mumbled. "I just...I had to set this in stone. I'm done with my mom, I'm done with that family.. I got Feli and me out.."

Antonio gave a soft half smile at that. "Then it's done."he said. "That part of your life is over..it's time to start a new chapter, is it not?"

Lovino looked up at him and managed a small smile. "You're a great boyfriend, Toni."he said, laying his head against his shoulder. "Thank you."

Antonio kissed the top of his head. "I love you."he murmured.

"Love you too."Lovino said in response.

Feliciano smiled over at the two. It was nice to know that his brother had someone who was going to be as understanding as Antonio was being. It really made things a lot easier for everyone to deal with.

The group's day was slightly out of routine, but nobody commented on it.

They spent most of the day cutting up and hanging around town. They spent quite a bit of time at the park, laughing and cutting up. They went back to normal after that, mostly.

Lovino still didn't participate a lot. He was busy thinking.

Antonio sighed and moved to pull Lovino away from the swings where he was sitting off by himself. It was dark out, and the stars were out. He pulled Lovino to the hill on the other side of the park, away from the trees and the others. He laid down and pulled Lovino down beside him.

Lovino smiled and turned his focus to the sky. "Today was nice."he said softly.

"Yeah, it was."

**Here, guys. I gotta go. I have to work on something...**


	118. Chapter 118

**AN: Oh my gods, guys! I'm so freaking...I've been so beyond happy for the last two hours now! First off, a new episode of Teen Wolf was on, it's like the only thing I watch anymore. And now, Paradise Fears's new album Battle Scars is out on iTunes where I live! I can't wait to order it! I get to order it tomorrow! Yus!**

**Sorry...fangirl moment. I love Paradise Fears. If you have never heard their music, I suggest you listen to one of their songs. They're great!**

**Anywho...moving on. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, psychologists suck. Terribly. Trust me, I've talked to a few. I've kind of gotten an idea...a lot of people cut to turn emotional pain into physical pain, and I know that's my case...so...emotional pain can be killed other ways too. Like with good, inspirational quote. The Paradise Fears boys' quotes and songs are perfect inspirational quotes. So..yeah, focus on something else! Like music! Sorry..I've had a lot of sugar and have gotten to hear Battle Scars played live tonight on UStream. And someone sent me something on Facebook. It was a tumblr pic..long story.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

Lovino and Antonio stayed off to themselves that night, watching the stars and talking quietly while the others acted like idiots nearby.

Antonio laughed, pointing to a shooting star. "Make a wish, Lovi."he said.

Lovino smiled and silently made a wish, just to appease Antonio.

Antonio grinned. "What'd ya wish for?"

"I can't tell you. Because then it won't come true."Lovino pointed out.

Antonio rolled his eyes, kissing Lovino gently once. "Okay."he said.

Lovino smiled softly and went back to staring at the stars in the sky.

He fell asleep like that, curled up with his head resting over Antonio's heart, watching the stars.

Antonio noticed and smiled, but let him sleep.

After a while, Gilbert called out. "Time to go home, guys!"

Antonio laughed, shifting so he could pick Lovino up as he stood.

When he joined the others, he got a few smiles.

The walk home was calm, quiet.

As soon as they got in, Antonio set Lovino down in one of the recliners and laid a blanket over him.

Feliciano smiled at that. "I'm glad he has you, Toni."he said. "He's needed someone like you in his life."

Antonio smiled over at Feliciano. "Well...then I guess that makes two of us. I've needed someone like him in my life as well."

That got soft smiles from the others. It was odd, hearing something like that from Antonio, as he tried not to be sappy around them. But they weren't complaining, it was sweet.

**Sorry it isn't that long...I just can't focus right now. Too many ideas running through my mind. And too many song lyrics. Seriously! Go listen to some Paradise Fears if you haven't! You won't regret it, I swear on the River Styx!**


	119. Chapter 119

**AN: So...after coming back down from my music-and-television induced high on Monday night...I hate to say that things took a turn for the worst. I am currently with my cousins, and they have (thankfully, though I'd never admit it to them) taken any and all sharp objects and put them well out of my reach. I will be forever grateful for this. However..the damage has been done. Luke and Dani aren't happy with me or the rest of the family at the moment. Me because I was an idiot, them because...well, they wanted to be dicks, putting it lightly. **

**One of my friends from church, who is also a cutter, seemed to notice something off about me tonight because he searched for the new cuts. I've learned something. Unless it's another cutter looking, they never check your legs, only your wrists and shoulders and stuff. And well..yeah, it was another cutter, and it was bad. He informed by 'older sister', and she made sure to question me before I got to leave. **

**But, the good news is I'm working on getting better with it, and this story is **_**really**_** like therapy for me. So...thank you guys, because I write it for you.**

**Also, another little spiel before I continue on with this...Aidrian sent me a message earlier...said he had a surprise for me. I'm worried. He's going to drag my ass out of bed in the morning, I already know it...but still...I'm worried...**

**Anyways. **

**To those who reviewed:  
Spamano4ever: Indeed it is. The **_**awkward**_** thing about it is my boyfriend actually...we fought once a while back and well..that scene was based off what Dani told me while trying not to laugh at my confusion. Blame Aidrian. His fault that scene even **_**exists**_**, it's so cute...gah, I don't do cute like that often, you should enjoy it!**

**ThatRandomReview: It's fine! I'm glad you haven't bailed out like a sane person would have! And yeah, insomnia does suck, huh?**

**Enjoy!**

The following morning, Lovino blinked his eyes open only to flinch at the brightness of the room and close his eyes again, curling in on himself.

He was the last one awake of everyone, so his movements caught everyone's attention.

Gilbert dimmed the lights in the room and spoke softly. "It's safe to open your eyes and uncurl."

Lovino peeked out before he shook his head and went back to hiding.

Antonio rolled his eyes and spoke softly. "You feeling okay?"

Lovino nodded.

Feliciano half smiled. "He gets like this sometimes..he'll be alright."

Lovino shifted slightly, allowing himself to drift back to sleep.

Antonio shook his head. "It's not normal for people to sleep so much.."he mused.

Feliciano sighed ."It's understandable, though. Lovino never really got caught up on rest after working himself so hard a while back, remember?"

Antonio nodded. Still, Lovino's behaviour was worrying him.

The group stayed inside that day. Nobody seemed to be too bothered by that.

The next time Lovino woke, it was to see Gilbert and Alfred playing some video game that was full of gore. His expression changed within that second and he got up, disappearing from the room.

Antonio shared a look with the others before going after Lovino.

The two came back not long after. "...not feeling well?"Antonio was asking.

Lovino shrugged. "'m alright."he grumbled. Still, he allowed Antonio to pull him down beside him and curled up against him, not daring to look at the screen.

Feliciano seemed to understand what was going on and half smiled, digging a book from his own bookbag and handing it to Lovino, who glanced at it and smiled at his brother before taking it.

Gilbert noticed and groaned. "Oh, god, you aren't actually going back to being a book nerd are you, Lovino?"he asked, his eyes returning to the screen.

"Shut up and go back to your gore."Lovino said.

Gilbert winced. "Right, forgot. Weak stomach...yeah, sorry."he said.

Lovino rolled his eyes and turned his focus to the book in silence.

The day was a normal one for the group, if a bit more laid back. Nobody was complaining. It was a nice change from running around all over the place constantly. It let them relax.

**GUYS! I'm actually going to **_**try**_** talking my family into letting me get my lip pierced! I've been wanting to do that for ages now..well, get it **_**repierced**_**, anyways. I had it pierced my freshman year...and I had to take it out because of cosplay..and yeah, it grew up...so...but, oh my gods, I'll be so happy if I get to get my lip pierced!**

**Anywho...yeah, here's the new chapter. Sorry it's short.**


	120. Chapter 120

**AN: So...you know what I did, like an idiot? I got to poking around on Youtube. I found a scene from Paint It White, and went and rewatched the movie. Then I found a video..an AMV. I officially hate the internet, it screws with my feels too much. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Glad you like it! There's going to be quite a bit more of that, I promise. Hopefully, anyways.**

**ThatRandomReview: Yeah. I'll...I'll be doing research on it before even approaching them about it, because I need to be able to answer questions.**

**Enjoy.**

Sometime that evening, Feliciano's phone went off and made Lovino look up from his book.

Feliciano answered it, not bothering to check the caller id. "Ciao~!"he greeted, smiling brightly.

But that smile faded when he got the answer.

Lovino noticed and grabbed the phone. "Who is this?"he demanded, setting his book down and getting up, heading into the kitchen to continue the conversation.

Gilbert and Alfred paused their game to find out what was going on.

Feliciano's eyes had filled with tears and confusion, but he refused to let the tears fall.

It was quiet until Lovino started yelling. "You don't get to pretend, you know. If you want to talk to him, you can drag your sorry ass here to do so,"

Gilbert and Francis exchanged looks.

Nothing was said until Lovino entered the room again, still on the phone. "Fine. We'll meet you at the park, and you have twenty minutes to explain yourself. And so help me, if you make him cry again, I _will_ gut you."he said, hanging the phone up and handing it back to Feliciano, who looked up at his brother.

"Why? Why now?"he asked.

Lovino shook his head. "I don't know. It seems that he got in touch with Elizabeta..."he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Get dressed, Feli. We gotta go."

Gilbert spoke. "We're coming too."he said.

Lovino nodded. "Then go get dressed."

Silence reigned over the group for the longest as they headed out to the park.

Lovino sat with Feliciano while the others stayed back a bit, sitting on top of the hill, keeping an eye on the brothers, who were sitting just above the foot of the hill, talking quietly in quick Italian.

Lovino kept glancing at his watch, frowning deeply. Antonio and Ludwig shared looks. It was weird, seeing the two like this. It had never happened before. Sure, Lovino got protective of Feliciano, but it had never been this bad.

Minutes drug by. Gilbert finally called out. "So, are you two going to tell us what's going on any time soon?"he called.

Lovino looked back at him. "No."he replied, going back to his conversation with his brother.

Silence fell over the entire group not long after. Nobody broke it. Nobody knew the best way to break it. It was too tense.

When someone showed up at the far edge of the park, Lovino called out. "You're late."

"I know."

**You guys probably hate me, or will after the next chapter. But...well, you'll see why I'm doing this later, I swear it on the River Styx.**


	121. Chapter 121

**AN: So...here's the new chapter. Please don't kill me for it. I got the idea from a cosplay that I got to film today. Just...don't kill me?**

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: Sorry, sorry! It is sweet that Lovi's protective of Feli, don't worry. I've said worse, trust me. Glad you still like the story. Honestly, I don't pay attention to how many chapters. I just put effort forward to write for you guys, since you guys are awesome. **

**Spamano4ever: ...no, it's not their dad. You might kill me for this...**

**Enjoy.**

"I know."

Gilbert exchanged looks with Francis worriedly, but said nothing.

"Listen, I'm sorry for being late,"Lovino stood and moved down, closer to the person who had just come into sight of the others.

Feliciano stood as well, but Lovino kept him behind him protectively. "Now."Lovino said. "I agreed to do this because it's killed Feli that you left. But do _not_ hurt him again. I mean it."

Gilbert called down. "Lovi, what's going on?"

Lovino glared back. "If you want to know so damn bad, get your fucking ass down here."he called back.

Gilbert got up and went down the hill carefully, stopping at the bottom before he shook his head and went back up. It seemed he had nothing to say either way.

Lovino sighed. "Severin, I mean it. Don't hurt him again. Twenty minutes. Starting now."he said, pressing a button on his watch and moving out of the way.

Antonio watched this, frowning in confusion. He could hear what was said, but he was still lost.

"Veneziano..."Severin started.

Feliciano didn't correct him, so Severin continued. "I am _so _sorry. I didn't plan on being gone so long..."

"But you were."Feliciano said. "You didn't write or call, either. I thought you were _dead_. Grandpa told me you were _dead _it had been so long, Severin."

Lovino was dead silent, didn't intervene.  
Ludwig came down when he noticed how tense both of the Italians were.

Lovino stopped him, though. "Don't."

Ludwig nodded, but didn't turn and head back like his brother had. He stayed and watched.

Severin's eyes went to Lovino and Ludwig behind Feliciano and he nodded. "I really do appreciate you coming, Veneziano."he said softly. "I honestly didn't want to be gone so long, and I understand that I hurt you, honest. I'm not trying to hurt you further by showing up again now, but I had to come..I had to make sure you were safe, that you were okay."

Feliciano held his gaze for a while.

Severin half smiled. "I have something I need to return to you. Then, if you never want to see me around again, I'll leave. For good."he promised, pulling a necklace charm out of his pocket.

Lovino recognised it. It was a simple dog tag. He knew what was written on it as well. Antonio had his.

Severin gave a soft smile as he grabbed one of Feliciano's hands and placed the charm in it before releasing his hand.

Feliciano looked at the charm before he nodded. He gave the boy a tight hug. "Don't stay gone forever..."he mumbled.

Ludwig smiled faintly as he watched. He was glad that Feliciano was okay.

Lovino kept a close eye on the two, though. As soon as Feliciano released Severin, the boy stepped back.

"I'll try to keep in touch. If your brother will allow it."

Feliciano looked back at Lovino, who sighed, but nodded in acceptance.

Severin managed a smile. "Thank you, Romano. I appreciate you allowing this."

Lovino shrugged, holding out a hand for Feliciano.

Feliciano darted back to his brother's side and waved farewell as Severin left.

Ludwig half smiled at Feliciano. "Everything okay now?"he asked.  
Feliciano nodded.

The group settled down after that. Lovino relaxed as soon as they were back at Antonio's. It was weird, having to monitor something like that. He'd never expected to have to. But Feliciano seemed happier now, so he said nothing.

No one did.

**So...like I said, the idea came from a cosplay. Severin is Holy Rome. I couldn't find any other name possibility before writing or filming, so...yeah.**

**Don't kill me?**


	122. Chapter 122

**AN: Gah, what is this, three in a row?! I haven't done this in over a month!**

**To those who reviewed:**

**LaniKat84: I know, I know. I'm done now. I promise you. Don't worry...my spirit will laugh when it happens.**

**ThatRandomReview: That was my first thought, and then I was like...oh well, it's the only one I can find, I'm not searching for another, moving on.**

**Spamano4ever: ... *hides* don't kill me...? Please...? I'll give you all the pasta and tomatos you want!**

**Enjoy.**

That night was one of the quietest. Even with Lovino and Feliciano explaining what had happened in the past to the others.

Things settled down after that, and the group was ready to face school when they got up the following morning.

Feliciano once again got Lovino into the wings, so the elder Italian was grumbling as they entered the school building. He hated days like this. He always got odd looks that he didn't need.

"Damn it, Feli, why must you torture me...?"he grumbled under his breath.

Antonio heard and smiled, kissing his cheek. "Because you looks so cute like this."

Lovino glared at Antonio, but allowed himself to be pulled over to the others.  
Severin was there with the others and gave Lovino an amused look as him and Antonio sat down. "I see you finally caved to Veneziano's wishes from years ago."

Lovino glared at him. "Shut the fuck up."he snapped

That morning got off to an odd start.

By the time lunch came around, Lovino seemed ready to kill, so everyone held their tounges around him, not wanting to set him off.

Lovino just plopped down beside Antonio and rested his head against the Spaniard's shoulder. It was quiet, and eventually, Lovino relaxed enough for the others to feel comfortable speaking up.

After a while, Gilbert spoke up. "So, we should do something as a group. Yesterday...well, before all that mess happened, it was way too peaceful."

"Says you."Lovino said. "God, you need some new games that aren't so gorey."

Gilbert pouted, but continued. "So, I got to thinking, what if we all went to the movies? Just something fun to do?"

Everyone but Lovino agreed, so Feliciano pouted at Lovino.

Lovino sighed. "I'll check my work schedule this evening..."he grumbled.

Feliciano shot up and gave his brother a tight hug. "Thank you, Lovi!"

Lovino smiled softly as his brother released him.

Toris's phone went off and he glanced at the message before rolling his eyes, looking over at Lovino. "Well, you might want to make sure it's soon. Otherwise, Vash might kill all of us."

"And please, for our sakes, can it not be a scary movie this time?"Raivis asked, looking over at Gilbert, who gave an understanding smile and nodded.

With that worked out, Lovino got up to go call his boss to check his work schedule.

He glanced back at the group and mouthed 'tomorrow', and the others nodded.  
Lovino finished the conversation before he joined the others.

Antonio sighed. "I still think you're working too hard."

"Feli and me have to be able to survive, you know, and I'm not depending on any of you. Last time I did that, it didn't end well."

This got a few sighs, but no one argued against him.

Feliciano frowned, though. "Why won't you just admit that you're scared of letting people help you?"he asked.

Lovino's eyes widened and he looked at his brother before he sighed. "I don't know what you're talking about, Feli."

"Yes, you do, don't lie to me. You've been scared of asking for help since you joined the mafia."Feliciano said. "And I hate it. I hate how it's made you."

Lovino knew he shouldn't read into that, but he did. "Right..."he mumbled. He shook his head. "I gotta go."

With that, he got up and grabbed his things, heading out of the cafeteria.

Feliciano watched him go and shook his head.

Ludwig spoke softly. "He's only trying to do what's best for you, Feli."

"By killing himself slowly?"Feliciano countered. He looked up at Ludwig. "It's not right. He need help, even if he won't admit it."

GIlbert spoke. "We'll manage."he promised.

_I hope so..I can't lose Lovino._ Feliciano thought, but he nodded.

***Sigh* So..Freedom Festival tomorrow...and I don't look forward to it because it's hours out in the sun.**


	123. Chapter 123

**AN: Guys, I think I'm going to be sick...I just spent the last few hours doing research on the 2p characters... I'm never going to be able to look at pasta and cupcakes the same way again! Gods, the pasta thing...gross...even if it does sound interesting...yeah, I suppose I'd try it. Never hurt anything, right?**

**Oh, what am I saying...**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: *slowly comes out of hiding, hands over fresh pasta and tomatos* Indeed...**

**ThatRandomReview: Very true. The Freedom Festival...it's an early Fourth of July celebration where I'm at.**

**Enjoy.**

When the group got back to Antonio's, Lovino hid himself away from the others. It was weird, hanging out without Lovino around too. But nobody said what was on everyone's mind.  
Feliciano was the one who got up and went to check on Lovino, since everyone else was too afraid of having the tempermental Italian going off on them.

When he found Lovino, he sat down in front of him. "Fratello, what's wrong? Why are you hiding?"

Lovino shrugged. "It's nothing Feli."he mumbled.  
Feliciano gave him a look. "You can tell me."he prompted. "Please?"

Lovino shook his head. "...you hate me...?"he asked.

Feliciano's eyes widened. "No, of course not!"he said. "I could never."

"At lunch, you said..."

"I know what I said,"Feliciano commented. "But I never said I hated you. Fratello, I love you. You've done so much for me, and I just don't like that you won't let someone help you. You won't even let me help you."

Lovino allowed his brother to pull him into a hug.

As soon as he was released, he joined Feliciano and the others in the living room.

Antonio kissed his cheek lightly and gave him a soft, understanding smile, and things carried on as they normally did.

That night was the worst yet. Even with Feliciano reassuring him earlier that he didn't hate him, the dreams that plagued Lovino's mind after he fell asleep said otherwise. It was terrible and Lovino woke the others up sometime around two in the morning crying.

Feliciano reacted first of everyone and set about calming Lovino down. He hated seeing his brother like this. It wasn't right.

**I need some rest. And I know I'm not getting any. Fucking 2ps causing nightmares...gah...**

***shivers***

**I'm not used to being scared of things like this anymore...**


	124. Chapter 124

**AN: After sleep being ridden with nightmares, I don't feel up to really going to the Freedom Festival today..but I'm going to. Because we're doing a cosplay while we're there, and I am required to be there to fill in. **_**Unfortunately**_**, when Luke and Dani found out I've been doing research on the 2ps, they decided to torture me with their cosplay idea. Fuck. Kill me. Please, just kill me. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Yeah, poor Lovi. The 2ps **_**are**_** cute, but some of them are downright terrifying in my opinion. **

**ThatRandomReview: Yeah, not really my cup of tea, but it's pretty okay, I suppose... I kept waking up..so no rest. Plenty of sleep, just no rest. Whatsoever.**

**LaniKat84: Lovi is insecure. That's some of his appeal, though, is it not? Yeah, I agree that he needs to stop worrying, but after his past, wouldn't you worry? ...and I'll pass on the cupcake, thanks...I won't even eat one that I cooked and know what is in it...no. **

**Enjoy.**

After three that morning, the group gave up on sleep. They knew nobody was getting any more sleep.

That day at school was shaping up to be torture before it really began. As such, Gilbert spoke up. "Guys, do we really have to do this? We can just skip out today.."

Feliciano nodded. "Yeah, sure."he mumbled, going back to the conversation he was having with Lovino.

Toris shook his head in amusement. "You know what I noticed recently?"he asked, getting the Italian brothers' attention. "You two are each others complete opposites. Do you guys fight a lot due to it?"

Lovino laughed lightly. "No, no, we don't. It does make conversations interesting, though."he commented. "Hell, once, just to creep our teachers out, we switched personalities for the day. It was so...we got detention for it. Both of us."

Gilbert's eyes lit up. "Oh, man, I remember that. Feli broke the act by second block, and I busted out laughing at the look on the teacher's face when he snapped back."

Lovino nodded. "I wasn't too happy about that, because no one let me know that the act was up until lunch."he said. "Next time, if we do that again, someone had better text me and let me know, or it won't end well."

Matthew gave him a look. "You'd really do that again?"

"It causes trouble, doesn't it?"Lovino asked. "Then, hell yeah, I would."

This got a few laughs. Lovino seemed to be back to normal.

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "You two switched personalities?"

Feliciano nodded. "Back a few years ago. Vash was the one to give us the idea, because people kept confusing us for each other until they picked up on personalities. It was fun, seeing the reaction. But it was in middle school. We haven't dared in high school because of all the crap that goes on there as it is."he said. "But it was fun!"

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Says you."he deadpanned. "I don't like acting as childish as you do..."

Feliciano gave a toothly grin and shrugged. "Sorry."he said. "You aren't exactly the easiest to act like, either. And considering you were _always_ cursing...you don't make things easy."

Lovino ruffled his brother's hair and laughed. "'Course not? What kind of brother would I be if I didn't make things a bit harder on you?"

Feliciano shrugged and the topic was changed for a long while.

But Antonio still had questions that the twins weren't answering, so Matthew and Gilbert spoke up, explaining away the questions while Feliciano and Lovino spoke quietly in Italian.

Antonio smiled faintly. It seemed that Feliciano and Lovino did more together than he had been aware of. They were much closer than they seemed at first.

**Anyway, moving on. So...gr. I hate my cousins. You know who they want me to fill in for? Italy. Fuck, I'm dead. My friends are going to kill me. Hell, **_**I**_** might end up killing me if I'm not careful with the knife I have to carry. Thankfully, we have permission from the authorities to use it for the cosplay, so long as it doesn't truly become a weapon against any Festival-goers. But...gah, I'm going to have to wear that uniform and stuff in this heat? Dead. I'm going to die. Just...fuck.**

**Wish me luck, guys. I might end up killing my cousins before the day's out if they keep torturing me.**

**The good thing? Italy is my favorite 2p. That's the only good thing.**


	125. Chapter 125

**AN: Back from the Freedom Fest, waiting on the fireworks to begin now..I can see them from the ballfield behind my house, thank the gods. The cosplay went over nicely, and I didn't scare **_**too**_** many people. Unfortunately. Dang..I really did want to scare people, because I had a perfect excuse! Most people avoided the group because we had a video camera as well as the fact that we were dressed up in cosplay. The wig I had to wear...gah, it took ten minutes to get it right..one of my friends I was hanging out with after the cosplay was laughing at me. She had to help me with it. Italy's curl is torture.**

**Then I ran into our Canada, Sweden, China, and Ireland...while still in cosplay. Canada laughed and gave me a hug - awkward - and China grinned, but nobody said anything about it. It was interesting. After that, the kind of snapped into character and we had a bit of...**_**fun**_** scaring people, because while they didn't have their costumes or wigs or anything, they did the 2p personality. It was good. I loved it. Heh...yeah, so..next cosplay - normal, me being England again - is actually tomorrow. I'm exhausted..and they pushed me in the pool while I was in costume, so the little kids around me when I hit the water scrambled due to the knife. Dang, I'm not gonna hurt anyone with it! Not on purpose, anyway...**

**So, yeah...that's how that went. If you want to know more about the cosplay, then message me and I'll tell ya what ya want to know.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Yeah, I know...I kept my lamp (Christmas lights, actually) on all night because I felt like someone was watching me and it scared the shit out of me.**

**Spamano4ever: It did. Thankfully it did. **

**LaniKat84: Exactly! And trust me, you will see them switch personalities. I love doing that with my friends, I did it quite often this past year after I was pulled into that cosplay group. I quite like it.**

**Enjoy.**

It was sometime later that evening, over dinner at a restruant that the topic was brought back up, by Alfred. "So..you two switch personalities? I find that hard to believe."

Lovino shrugged. "It was back before people realized that our curls go different ways and started using that to tell us apart. So, if we do that again, we get to switch sides. Which...god, we don't have the right products to do that right now. I'd have to get in touch with Elizabeta if we did that before we got to go to the store or something.."

Feliciano sighed. "Will you ask her tomorrow?"he asked.

Lovino held up a finger, digging his phone out and dialing a number. He spoke quietly as soon as he got an answer. "Liz! Could you do Feli and me a huge favor?"he asked. "I'll owe you forever."

Antonio could hear the laughter on the other end of the line.

Lovino's eyes brightened and he looked up at Feliciano. "We're planning on doing something soon. Switching personalities to see who outside the group can tell us apart, but our curls go different ways...think you could bring something we can use?"he asked.

When he got the answer, he smiled. "Grazie, Liz. We'll stop by on the way home."he promised.

After he hung up, he looked up. "We have to swing by the restruant on our way home. She's the one who's helping close up tonight."

Gilbert spoke. "Aren't your eyes different colours as well?"

Lovino shrugged. "Not that different. Hard to pick up on. Mine just have a green tint, while Feli's have a honey tint to them. Nobody ever notices unless they know us closely."

Feliciano grinned. "So we're doing this tomorrow?"

"Yep."Lovino said with a smile.

Feliciano's grin turned into a faint smirk, something that seemed out of place on his face. "So, does this mean..?"

Lovino sighed. "Fine. We'll go back to how we dressed in Italy when we last visited. It'll be harder to pick up on who's who that way."

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "How do you guys dress in Italy?"  
Feliciano smiled. "Certainly not jeans and tee shirts and converses. We actually do dress up a lot, button ups and slacks and ties and stuff. Meaning that we get to do that tomorrow."he said.

Gilbert grinned. "Just think, you guys share a class this semester. Third period, right?"

Lovino and Feliciano nodded, then grinned.

"Oh, heck yes. This is going to be good."Lovino commented.

As soon as the group pulled up at the restruant, Lovino was out of Antonio's car. He met Elizabeta at the door and gave her a hug. "Grazie, Liz."he said softly as he let go.

Elizabeta rolled her eyes with a laugh and handed Lovino a bag. "Just make sure to stay out of trouble. Both of you."

Lovino nodded. "We will."

Elizabeta nodded and let Lovino leave.

The ride home was silent. As soon as they were inside, though, things got loud again.

Feliciano immediately went to digging around, trying to find the outfits they'd worn last summer.

When he found them, he threw Lovino his and grinned.

Lovino huffed as he caught them. He scowled at the tie he saw. "God, I hate these things. They're weapons of torture."

Antonio shook his head. "Not this time. This time it'll be for entertainment purposes."

Lovino frowned, going back to reading instructions on what Elizabeta had handed him.

The following morning, the group woke up to find the Vargas brothers gone. It took them a moment to get woke up enough to realize the brothers were already up and moving.

Gilbert grumbled. "How can they already be up? This hour is torture enough.."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Remember? They're switching for the day. This is going to be fun to watch. Because their teachers are going to get so frustrated."

Gilbert snorted. "Yeah, I remember that much."he said. "I also remember that they worry me when they do this. Because they manage it rather well to be so different."

Francis nodded.

Lovino entered the room then, fixing the tie he had been cursing at the previous night. He looked completely different than he normally did. But then, he was always dressed so casually. Feliciano normally dressed a bit nicer. So, it wasn't as much of a shock when he entered the room as well to stand beside his brother.

Toris blinked at them for the longest before grinning. "Now I see why you guys got mistaken for each other before."

Lovino shrugged, but allowed himself to smile at the comment.

It wasn't often they saw him smile, so it still surprised the group.

What was even weirder was seeing Feliciano _not_ smiling, since he hardly ever stopped smiling.

The group knew the act only began when they headed to school, so they were easing into it.

By the time everyone was up and ready, the others were used to seeing the switch. They were still irked by it, but they didn't let it show as much.

In fact, most everyone was quiet until they got to the school. Fortunately, they could pass it off as being tired still.

The group had worked out a plan for this, and they hoped it went through without much trouble.

Noting the fact that Raivis, Matthew, and Alfred seemed a bit worried about the plan, Lovino spoke up. "Relax, guys."he said softly, keeping his voice as much like Feliciano's as he could manage.

Antonio and Ludwig exchanged looks in amusement at how the three jumped when Lovino spoke.

Still. The day had only begun. It was sure to be much more entertaining later on.

**Here you go, guys. **


	126. Chapter 126

**AN: So, so tired. And I cannot fucking sleep. Damn my curiousity, damn it to Tartarus. Just..no, I hate it so much. **

**To those who reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Yep. Sounds about right. Though scary movies don't give me nightmares..because most of them are so fake nowadays...the 2ps, however... *shiver* that gives me nightmares.**

**Spamano4ever: Glad you're excited for it!**

**Enjoy.**

First block was interesting. Matthew kept an eye on Feliciano, laughing silently when the teacher and him got into a verbal sparing match in the middle of class. For the first time in the literature class, people were paying attention avidly to what was going on.

The entire group met up in between classes.

Lovino gave his brother a look. "How was class?"he asked, almost hesitantly.

Feliciano raised an eyebrow, but gave a faint smile. "Interesting."he responded.  
Lovino knew they were still going at that point and grinned.

Matthew spoke. "Yeah, he got everyone paying attention. The teacher was ready to send him out, but nobody paid her any mind. It was hilarious."

Raivis nodded. "People seem to like distractions from class,"he commented.

The group split ways then, going in seperate directions.

When third block hit, Feliciano and Lovino switched seats and remained silent until class got started. Being in class together made it easier, because they knew their limits, the fact that their actions affected everything the other did.

Once the class got started, things got a lot more fun for the twins.

While normally, a biology class would be boring, they were talking about finding differences in twins that day due to genetics and someone asking, so the boys knew this was their big chance.

The teacher called them up, and the two followed character very well.

As soon as they were both stood in front of the class, the teacher spoke. "Now, since they're dressed similarly today, let's see who can tell who's who."

Silence lasted for a while before one of the girls spoke. "The one on the left is Feliciano, the one on the right is Lovino.

The brothers exchanged looks, both of them having different facial expressions.

This didn't last long, though. The teacher spoke. "Why do you think so?"

"Their curls, the way the hold themselves."the girl answered softly.

But one of the guys in the front cut this off. "They could have changed that on purpose, you know."

The twins looked at him. It was one of the newer kids to the school.

Feliciano frowned deeply and spoke, imitating Lovino's voice nearly perfectly. "We _can't_ change that on purpose."he countered.

Lovino shook his head, playing along perfectly with a soft smile showing. "Fratello would never allow it."

That technically w_as _true. Vash didn't allow them to do this. He just ignored it. And considering he was their fratello now...

That class was one of the most interesting.

The rest of the day went without a hitch, the boys dropping the act as soon as they got home, disappearing to get changed and let their curls go back to their normal sides before rejoining the others.

Feliciano grinned brightly. "You guys should have seen it! Biology, we were doing this activity, seeing if people could tell Lovi and me apart. One of the new kids almost busted us, though.."

Lovino noddded. "Feli bailed us out, though."

As the two told the others, the group smiled and laughed softly. It wasn't often something like this happened, but when it did, you learned to enjoy it.

"Man, nobody figured it out..."Lovino said. "They're going to be pissed tomorrow when we tell them in Biology..."

Feliciano noddded, but shrugged.

It had been a good day, a little tiff the following day wasn't too big of a deal.

**Heh. Done. Now...attempt to sleep. I currently have a knife under my pillows and stuff, but ya know...better safe than sorry? I don't trust people, because knowing my idiot fratello, he'll try to scare the shit out of me later tonight..he knows I've been doing research on the 2p characters. Not good. **

**Anyway..bed time? Maybe?**

**Ciao.**


	127. Chapter 127

**AN: So...I've been shopping today. Currently not in the best mood. I **_**really**_** hate shopping...**

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: Glad you enjoyed it!**

**ThatRandomReview: Yep. Freaking paranoid as crap. He stayed put..he had a new game to play.**

**LaniKat84: Glad you liked it. The biology thing...my class did that my eigth grade year, just to get away from book work and stuff. It was interesting. The people weren't twins, but...well, they looked almost exactly alike..it's a lot of fun. Supernatural? A SPN fan, then? Sorry to hear about your fratello being stupid. But, I'm glad to get to talk to another SPN fan. Did you know they have a 24 hour marathon on TNT in October to prepare for Halloween? I watched it this past year...fun. I was exhausted, but it was **_**so**_** worth it.**

**Enjoy.**

First thing the next day in Biology, the boys were once again called to the front. Since they hadn't finished the activity due to arguments the previous day, today would be it.

The boys were talking quickly with one another in Italian, so nobody understood what they were saying.

"Quindi, stiamo per dire loro, giusto?"Feliciano asked quietly.

Lovino popped him upside the head. "Idiota. Abbiamo già deciso di! Sì, stiamo per dire loro."

Feliciano pouted, but nodded and let it drop.

Once the conversations died out, the teacher spoke. "So, any further arguments on yesterdays events?"

The same girl who'd started yesterday spoke up. "I still think I was right.."she said.

Lovino and Feliciano shared a sly smile and exchanged a high five. It wasn't often that they accomplished something like that.

The teacher watched their actions before raising an eyebrow. "Well, boys, want to answer as to if she was right or not?"

Feliciano spoke up. "That was actually wrong."he said, smiling kindly. "We switched out yesterday, see who would notice."

"And that was absolutely no one, because the bastards here in this school don't pay enough attention unless it involves getting laid or a sport."

This got a few laughs, and a glare from the teacher. Lovino held his hands up innocently.

"_What?"_ This came from one of Feliciano's friends, one that Lovino had met in passing. "But you guys are..."

"Polar opposites."Lovino finished. "We know."

This got a few amused laughs from the others.  
Feliciano took up. "But that's what makes it so much fun."he replied. "The only thing that wasn't fun was fixing our curls..."

Lovino frowned deeply at that, but said nothing.

Lunch that day was nice. The group got to talking and laughing.

People really weren't happy with the twins because of their switch yesterday, but nobody said anything to either of them.

Finally, Raivis spoke. "So...how is it you two can act so much like each other?"

Lovino shrugged. "We just know each other well enough to know the difference between how we act. We can switch easily."he said.

Gilbert spoke. "Okay..here's a question that none of us know. Why are so so overprotective of Feli?"he asked, looking at Lovino.

The elder frowned. "Because...Nonno got us when we were seven, right around...when we were three, our parents seperated us for two years. I _hated_ watching Feli grow up with our dad, especially when I wasn't there with him..so it kind of bleeds over now into how I treat him."

Gilbert nodded in understanding, but frowned.

"Why would they seperate you two?"Matthew asked hesitantly.

Feliciano spoke. "They seemed to think that Lovi was a bad influence on me."he answered. "Our mom still does."

A few of the others looked at Lovino, who was looking down at his food in silence.

It was hard, learning about the twins' raising like this now.

Things settled down quickly from then on.

As soon as the group was home, Lovino changed and grabbed the bag that Elizabeta had handed him before and disappeared to work. He paused to kiss Antonio's cheek and ruffle Feliciano's hair, but said nothing.

"He's killing himself like this."Francis commented. "He's not been acting right since lunch."  
Feliciano shook his head. "He has the weekend off, though..if he's not back to normal by then, I suppose it's time to dig up some old memories."he said. "Happy ones for a change."

Nobody argued with that plan.

**Here ya go. Now..maybe, since it's daylight, I can get a bit more sleep? Ha, doubt it..gotta try, though.**


	128. Chapter 128

**AN: So..notice. I went to another fireworks show today in Summerville, Georgia. It was spectacular. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: I can tell.**

**ThatRandomReview: I always do that, though...that's normal for me. Thankfully.**

**Enjoy.**

The group ended up going to the restruant during Lovino's break to see him frowning as he spoke with one of the customers, a female who was cradling her arm to her. They caught a snippet of conversation. "...I understand that things get hard, honest. But harming yourself is never the solution. It makes things worse if anything, in the long run."he said. Then he smiled. "Hey, if I performed something for you, do you think you could tell me what you got out of it. You need to hear it."

The girl nodded and Lovino got up, disappearing only to come back with an acoustic guitar. He sat down again and gave the girl a faint smile. The entire place fell silent when Lovino started playing, though. He started singing on time, giving another kind smile as he did so.

"_This is an anthem for the homesick, for the beaten, the lost, the broke, the defeated. A song for the heart sick, for the stand bys, living life in the shadows of a goodbye. Do you remember when we learned how to fly? We play make believe, we were young and had time on our side. You got stuck on the ground, got lost, can't be found, just remember that you're still alive."_

The girl smiled faintly as she listened.

"_You know we've all got battle scars. You've had enough, but just don't give up, stick to your guns, you are worth fighting for, you know we've all got battle scars, keep marching on."_

The others smiled faintly as they listened. It was just like Lovino to do this for someone else without realizing he needed it too.

"_This is a call to the soldiers, the fighers, the young, the innocent and righteous. We've got little room to grow, better days are near. Hope is so much stronger than fear. So if you jump kid, don't be scared to fall,"_

Feliciano smiled faintly and shared looks with the others. The girl was smiling, seeming much better than before.

"_You had it all when you were a kid, do you even remember who you were back then?"_

Lovino finished and set the guitar aside. "So...one last question for you. You up to fighting a bit further to get to where you should be?"he asked softly.

Everyone else in the restruant's dining area as well as Lovino's boss was staring at him in surprise. Of everything they'd thought, they never would have believed that Lovino would be willing to do something like this for a complete stranger.

The girl smiled though and nodded. "Yeah."she said quietly.

Lovino grinned. "Good."he said softly. "Listen, there's a girl who's about to come out here for her break. Her name's Elizabeta. I'll ask her to come talk with you. If you need something, I want you to get in touch with her. She's more than willing to help people, and is far more available to do so than I am."

The girl nodded.

Lovino got up and gave the girl a one-armed hug before carrying the guitar back. Then he stopped in front of his brother and the others and raised an eyebrow. "How much of that did you see...?"he asked quietly once everyone returned to their conversations and Elizabeta came to talk with the girl.

Feliciano nearly tackled Lovino in a tight hug. "That was so out of character for you, Lovi!"he said.

Lovino sighed, but returned the hug.

Feliciano released and backed away.

The group ended up going back not having to do anything to help, and Lovino was happier when he returned home that evening.

He gave the others a faint smile after he'd gotten changed and returned, collapsing beside Antonio tiredly.

After he fell asleep, Antonio spoke. "Of all the things I expected of him, that was not one of them."he commented quietly. "But that was sweet."

Gilbert nodded.  
Matthew rolled his eyes and spoke. "He cares for others more than himself. He's more than willing to help someone else."

The group nodded and settled down for the night.

It had been an interesting evening, so no one complained about the early ending of the day.

**Here. The song in this? Paradise Fears - Battle Scars. The link is : www . youtube watch?v=wLC5SZ8eScU**

**It's amazing, I promise. Give it a listen. And the lyrics...by ear. The lyrics aren't out online yet..unfortunately. But it's amazing, si?**


	129. Chapter 129

**AN: Here you go, loves. New chapter. Just a little bit of information I found out last night at dawn...when the sun starts coming up, the light looks blood red through the blinds. It scared the shit out of me, because I look over at one of my posters and it looks like it's covered in blood before I realized it was just the sun coming up. Fucking 2ps...**

**On another note...I got to poking around on Facebook..and I found an old message from my 'big brother'. I miss him. He gradutated this year and I guess it's just now sinking in that he won't be there next year and I don't live close enough to go visit him as often as I should...he's the only one I talk to about my problems, though, and he's the one who's always told me that if I needed help to call him and stuff..and now..he's just...not there. :'( **

**To those who reviewed:**

**ThatRandomReview: Yes, very lucky.**

**Enjoy.  
_**

The following morning, Gilbert hung back from the rest of the group.

Alfred and drug Matthew out early to go do something before school, so there were no questions asked.

At school, however, Matthew was frowning slightly at the fact that Gilbert wasn't there when Alfred finally let him go join the others.

Lovino was talking with him quietly when Gilbert showed up, walking up behind Matthew. Lovino noticed, but continued the conversation like nothing was going on.

Gilbert smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around Matthew, causing him to trail off in surprise and look over his shoulder at Gilbert.

Lovino half smiled and moved away, letting the two have their moment alone.

"Gute zum Jubiläum."Gilbert said softly as he let Matthew go.

Matthew turned to look at him in surprise, but smiled, repeating the words carefully.

Gilbert grinned brightly and stole a soft kiss from the Canadian.

Out of all the couples in the group, Gilbert and Matthew were the ones who weren't comfortable showing affection like that.

Lovino shared a soft smile with the others. It was definitely nice to see the two so happy. Even Alfred gave a faint smile as he watched over his brother from where he was talking quietly with Arthur.

Gilbert gave the others a soft smile when he realized they were being watched and grabbed one of Matthew's hands, pulling him away from the group.

Lovino laughed. "Behave, you two."he called after them.

Matthew glared back at Lovino.

As soon as they were out of sight, Alfred spoke. "I don't think I've ever seen Mattie so comfortable with someone before,"he said.

"It's the same with Gil."Ludwig said with a nod. "Matthew's the first person he's trusted so much."

Lovino rolled his eyes. "I'm just glad they're both so happy."he said. "I thought I was going to have to kill them for the longest. Matt because he never left the house but for school and the library, and Gil because he was always giving fake smiles and not acting like himself."

That morning was one of the calmest ones for the group.

Lunch proved to be interesting that day. Gilbert and Matthew were still talking quietly, staying relatively out of the group's conversation.

The others found it highly amusing.

When the group split and Matthew was walking with Lovino to class, Lovino spoke softly. "So..."he said.

Matthew smiled shyly. He already knew what Lovino was waiting on. "Gil's taking me out to eat tonight..."he said quietly. "Some theatre-oriented restruant in town."

Lovino smiled faintly. "I see he's at least trying to find something amusing."he commented.

Silence fell over them until the end of the day.

Once they got outside, Lovino gave Gilbert an amused smile and watched Matthew give him a tight hug as he waited on the others.

Antonio showed up then and rolled his eyes. "How on earth can they act so cute and innocent?"he asked. "I mean, sure, Matthew's so pure-minded, but Gilbert?"

Lovino snorted. "Just a special bond. Don't question them."

Antonio nodded in understanding.

Feliciano raised an eyebrow, but still smiled. It was just another normal day in the group. There was always going to be something new come up. That was inevitable.

**Youtube hates me. I tried searching up some PruCan videos...and it keeps correcting me. It's highly frustrating, like they're going along with the idea that Canada is invisible. Gr.**

**Anyways...my cousin's group has a new video shot from today. It was a PruCan video. It was cute. Like legit fluff cute. At least they stuck to regular characters this time. **


	130. Chapter 130

**AN: So. Here's the new chapter. **

**Also, a very happy birthday to Canada.**

**Enjoy.**

That evening was quiet. Gilbert and Matthew left the group after an hour of them sitting around, heading out for their date. As soon as they were gone, the others grinned.

Toris spoke softly. "Those two..."he said softly. "I've never met anyone who can be like that with each other before."

Lovino nodded in agreement.

The moon was bright when Gilbert and Matthew left the restruant. They were both laughing and joking around again.

On their walk back to Antonio's Gilbert spoke softly. So, Mattie..."he started. "I was wondering..."

Matthew looked up at him curiously.

"Why is it you decided to stay with me?"Gilbert asked. "We aren't exactly..."

Matthew cut him off there. "I stayed because you mean the world to me, Gil. Now stop asking silly questions, alright? Just know this - I'm not leaving."he said, giving a soft smile to the Prussian, who grinned at him brightly.

They were still talking quietly when they got back, and nobody bothered asking about their date, knowing they didn't need to interupt the two of them.

As soon as they were done, Lovino spoke up. "So, did you two enjoy the evening?"

Matthew nodded, giving a shy smile. "Oui."he said softly. "It was magnifique."

Lovino smiled softly. "Good."

They settled not long after that, not wanting to regret a late night the following morning.

Even so, getting up and going the next day was a bit more of a challenge after such a nice day.

**Sorry it's short...**


	131. Chapter 131

**AN: Sorry for the late update, guys. I kinda ditched this lot for Doctor Who. I've been doing a** **DW marathon since like...the last day of June. So, I've been kinda focused on that and research about the 2ps as well as some family stuff. **

**Anywho, how was everyone's fourth (For the US people reading this!) and how was Canada Day? Gotta be better than mine was. Canada Day was awesome at my cousins' place, but the fourth...I had to come home. And it was the same as every year. Fighting, and a lot of laziness. But that's how that went, oh well, moving on. Happy late birthday to Canada and America! **

**Is it sad that my group's Canada forgot about Canada Day when he looked at the calendar and saw it marked the night before? Poor guy...I teased him 'bout it, though. Great fun, that was!**

**..and I've been watching too much Doctor Who. I've started talking like a Londoner...which is great for cosplay and all, but it's highly annoying here in Georgia..'cause outside my cousins and aunt, I'm the only one in my family who has anywhere close to a British accent of any sort, so they poke fun at it. **

**Anywho...**

**To those who reviewed:**

**HeroinOfDarkness: Is that a good thing? I hope it is...**

**Enjoy.**

The following morning turned out to be much slower than the group would have liked. Vash came in, toting Lili with him again, though, and it made Lovino raise an eyebrow.

Vash shrugged. "I gotta keep an eye on her."he said softly.

Lovino raised an eyebrow as Vash sat down with them, Lili getting up and moving to sit with Lovino.

Silence filled the group up until Gilbert ran up from where he had wandered off to do something earlier. "Mattie, you have to come see this!"he called out, his voice bright and loud. He stopped short when he noticed Lili was there again. He looked to Vash before he skirted around Lovino and Lili and sat down. "Nevermind."he mumbled.

Matthew smiled faintly and kissed his cheek.

Vash smiled in thanks when Gilbert calmed down.

Lili looked up at Lovino and spoke softly. "Can we go to the park after school?"she asked softly.

Lovino gave her a soft smile. "It's raining, Lili."he said. "If it's not raining after school, we'll discuss it with Vash, okay?"

Lili nodded and settled down again.

Lovino looked up at Vash and shook his head in amusement.

Vash gave a faint smile. "She's been stuck inside for a while. I don't like her being out and about if I'm not with her...so much could happen to her."

Lovino nodded in agreement. "Why do you think I used to leave Feli with you?"

Feliciano frowned. "Which wasn't fair, Lovi. I wanted to help you!"he said.

"And the one time you came close to trying, it nearly got us both shot."Lovino pointed out. "I did what I did for a reason, Feli, point blank. You were better off staying with Vash while I was gone."

Lili looked between the two Italians before her voice struck down the argument that was about to happen. "Why did you leave Feli with big brother?"she asked.

Lovino froze at her innocent voice. He thought it through, finding a way to answer without lying or ruining her innocence. "I got involved in the wrong crowd a while back. I had to protect him. Just like Vash does for you."

Raivis met Lovino's eyes and picked up from there. "But, even so, it helped him become who he is today."he said.

Lili looked over at him curiously before she nodded and the topic was dropped.

Vash picked Lili back up when the group had to go to first block. "I'll see you guys at lunch."he said softly. "Wiedersehen."

Antonio walked with Lovino again, holding onto one of his hands.

Lovino spoke softly. "I didn't expect to have that conversation this morning.."he commented.

Antonio gave a soft smile. "I didn't expect to hear it."he admitted. "But you handled it wonderfully."

The two stopped outside of Lovino's classroom and Lovino spoke. "You know that if I'm not careful, she'll become a target, right? Vash knows, it's why he keeps such a sharp eye out when he has her with him anywhere. And now that the mafia knows that Vash is Feli and my brother as well...they're both targets."

Antonio shook his head. "Nothing will happen. To either of them."he promised. "They matter to you...and that's enough for me to protect them with my life."

Lovino hugged Antonio tightly. "Thank you, Toni..."he mumbled into the Spaniard's shoulder. "I don't want them to get hurt..."

Antonio sighed. "Listen..if you can't deal with things today, text me, let me know. I'll tell Vash and Feli and we'll leave for the day. Get out of this town for a while, just go sightseeing. Anything to help."

Lovino pulled back to look at Antonio. He smiled softly. "Thank you."he said again softly. "But they have to come. I've promised Feli and Lili that if I ever go sightseeing, I'd take them too."

Antonio nodded. "Perfectly understandable."he said, stealing a kiss and letting Lovino go into his class while he left for his own class.

Things were out of pattern for the group that day.

Lovino was tired come lunch and immediately collapsed against Antonio, who caught him before he hit the ground and kissed his forehead. "I think someone needs a nap."

Lili watched this with wide, curious eyes.

As soon as Lovino was asleep, Vash spoke. "He okay?"he asked.

Antonio nodded. "I think that the memories that are trying to come forward are taking a lot out of him. I've seen this happen with Raiv and Tor as well.."

Vash sighed and nodded. "We have to figure a way to finish this..without starting a war of some sort."

Matthew spoke up. "We could always just press charges."

Vash shook his head. "Remember last time?"

Matthew sighed. "Worth a shot."

Lili spoke. "Has someone hurt him?"she asked, looking up at Vash.

Vash looked lost on what to say, so Toris spoke up. "Yes. Someone has hurt him, very badly. And we're fixing it, okay, kiddo?"

Lili looked over at him before looking at Lovino with a small frown. "He'll be okay though, right? He's perfectly safe here...right?"

Vash's frown told volumes, but he spoke softly. "Lili, do you remember what you learned about in history yesterday? The air raids and stuff from the second World War?"he asked.

Lili nodded.

"Well, it's that kind of situation. We never know if we're going to make it. But I promise you, we're going to try our hardest to make sure everyone in this group is safe and okay at the end."Vash said.

Lili smiled faintly and nodded in acceptance. "Can I help, big brother?"

Vash grinned. "'Course you can."he said. "In fact, you play a crucial role in this. Summer's soon. You're going to help us all talk Lovino into going out of town with us for a while, somewhere safe."

Lili nodded in understanding.

After that, things settled. A few of the others seemed surprised at how the situation had ended up, but nobody said anything about it.

**Okay, meanwhile, I'm still smelling gunpowder from the fireworks not long ago..and I have the sound of the Londonblitz bombings echoing in my head from my Doctor Who marathon earlier today...gah, I hate that.**


	132. Chapter 132

**AN: Here ya go guys. So...today looks like it's going to bite. VBS has been great this week and all...but today was the one day I wasn't looking forward to. People are gonna embarrass the heck outta me tonight...stupid, stupid birthday...**

**To those who reviewed:  
Guest (ChocoDonut): He will, eventually. And I regret nothing! Though I understand that. My family's sick of hearing Paradise Fears music now...oh well. They're amazing, their songs have good meaning..so yeah, I regret absolutely nothing!**

**HeroinOfDarkness: It's fine. I'm glad you like it!**

**ItalyAllday: ..it took you a week. You're a fast reader. My updates have slowed a lot, though, so it's got to have been easier than if I kept up with my two, three a day updates like when I first started. I've learned from my friends about Doctor Who, then started watching it, so..yeah, sorry for that. Glad you like it! I sure can add some more GerIta fluff!**

**Spamano4ever: Good to see you back around here. Glad you still like the story! **

**And, finally...here's some that...well, it'll be a while before they see this, but honestly..they're guests, so I can't message them in response.**

**La Luita: (chapter 13) Gracias! Thank you for the corrections! I've been having to use Google Translate for the Spanish, and I know it's not always very...correct. But...outside of the Hola, Gracias, and 'amigo/amiga' thing...I don't know **_**anything**_** about Spanish. And maybe a few numbers. So thanks for the corrections on my horrible Spanish attempt there. (Chapter 14) I've learned that. After I got in trouble about it with a teacher. So..that shall be fixed soon. As soon as I learn how to do that..**

**Guest: I will be sure to. I'm signed up for Spanish I in high school next year. It'll be the first time I've ever had a spanish class. So...yeah, that might help me learn a bit.**

**Enjoy.**

That weekend ended up being hectic. Gilbert, who was becoming known for random ideas, drug the entire group out to some carnival. After spending about an hour there, being bored with the festivities that Gilbert was so fascinated by, Lovino and Feliciano drug Antonio and Ludwig out to a meadow nearby and sat down.

It was rare that the twins thought alike, but they had both wanted out of there.

Feliciano collapsed onto his back in the grass and flowers, making Lovino roll his eyes.

When Feliciano's soft smile became a bit fixed, Lovino spoke up. "Do you miss it?"he asked. "All those times that you drug Severin and me out to a meadow when we were younger? Back before all that mess happened?"

Feliciano looked at his brother before curling up, head resting on Ludwig's lap. "Yeah, I do."he said. "Because I got to see you act like a kid for a change instead of being so mature all the time. Even before you joined the mafia, you were so mature."

Lovino gave a faint smile. "I know."

Ludwig rolled his eyes, running his fingers through Feliciano's hair gently. He looked up at Lovino and spoke. "I never understood why you were so against letting me help you, you know."he commented.

Lovino scowled at the German. "I...I don't have to explain myself to you,"he said, eyes cautious.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Why won't you tell me?"he asked softly.

Feliciano looked up at his brother with a pout, and Lovino sighed, nodding in acceptance.

Antonio stayed quiet, letting them talk it out, seeming to know that they needed to have this talk.

Lovino hesitated before he spoke. "Back when I first got involved, up until about three years ago, one of the guys that was _always_ willing to torture _anyone_ took a special interest in me, because of the reason I got involved. You were kind of like him in the fact that you _never_ smiled back then. It unnerved me so bad. Lack of other ties kind of led me to think that I really shouldn't let you close just in case you were like him...but Feli doesn't hang around people who would hurt him, so...I suppose you aren't all that bad..now that I've had to get to know you."

Feliciano half smiled. "Not that you were willing to let people help you in the first place."he commented.

Lovino nodded in agreement. "That's very true."

Ludwig gave a faint smile. "Well, it's good to know."he told Lovino.

And it was good to know. It was a nice feeling for Lovino, knowing the truth was finally out there about why he hadn't liked Ludwig hanging around his brother and being around so much.

The others drifted out to join them throughout the day, only to see that Antonio and Lovino were talking quietly about something while Ludwig and Feliciano joked around. When Gilbert and Matthew finally joined them, the last two of the group, it was to find Feliciano curled in on himself, laughing brightly as Ludwig tickled him.

Lovino was chuckling as well as he watched, everyone else were just smiling at the scene.

Gilbert rolled his eyes, but smiled. It was nice to see his brother goofing off for a change.

**The sooner this day is overwith, the better for me. Gah...**


	133. Chapter 133

**AN: Oh my gosh, guys! I got my tail! I was so happy! Alright, I'm done flipping out about that. I've been busy all day with VBS and stuff, though. So..happy late birthday to Miss Liechtenstein. On another note, tomorrow (Well..today, technically) looks to be interesting. Canada, Russia and America might be coming over, as well as Denmark and Iceland, and our 2p!Romano. Meaning? Freaking cosplay! Heck yes! I've been looking forward to doing another cosplay with the normal group for a while now. The good thing? Meine Mutter said she'd be willing to film it for us! And we have a few people who doing do cosplay, but said they'd be willing to help out with some stuff, like...editing and helping with costumes, make up and wigs.**

**Anyways, to those who reviewed:  
ThatRandomReview: Because life bites, of course! Don't feel bad. Doctor Who and Torchwood and VBS got in my way. Not the best idea.. I'm glad you still like the story, though!**

**ItalyAllday: Yeah, it's always cute when that happens with couples. When I'm watching from a very safe distance away. Yeah, late night reading sessions..that's a haunt of mine, as well. But I get to sleep all day, usually.**

**Spamano4ever: Glad you thought so!  
Guest: (chapter 93) I love scones and stuff, don't get me wrong. I got addicted to them after Dani made them when he heard that I got dubbed as England in my group. But I hate making them. It took us almost four hours to get enough made edibly for the entire class! **

**HeroinOfDarkness: Definitely right!**

**Enjoy**

"So! Summer's almost here. What's the plan?"Gilbert asked, looking at the others. It was well after dark, but they were still lounging around in the meadow.

Antonio raised an eyebrow. "What d'you mean?"he asked softly.

Gilbert grinned brightly. "Are we throwing a party after school lets out or not? We always do!"

Lovino looked at Gilbert. "Knowing you, it'll involve alcohol, Gil. I've done good to keep my promise thus far."he commented dryly. "Lord only knows how many times I really could've used a drink this past year."

Antonio laughed softly. "I keep telling you, I don't mind. Hell, I can't act like I've never drunk any alcohol in my life before. Just not all the time. Every now and again, special occasion thing never hurt no one."

"Then you really don't know us,"Lovino said. "Any time we mix alcohol and us together, it ends in disaster."

Raivis shook his head. "Man, I remember Lovi coming in with a hangover a couple times. Didn't end well for anyone. He is _so_ beyond irrateable when he's got a hangover."

Ludwig spoke. "Alright, here's the deal. We'll have an end of the year party. No alcohol."he said softly. "We can have it at our place."

Once everyone agreed to that, things settled down again.

After a while, the group decided it was time to head back to Antonio's for the night and got up to go to leave. They made it a bit up the road before Lovino stopped and glanced towards the woods across the road.  
Raivis noticed this and shared a look with Toris before he spoke. "Lovi, c'mon."he said softly.

Antonio followed Lovino's gaze and frowned before he grabbed one of Lovino's hands, pulling him forward a bit to get him to start walking again.

It was weird. Lovino hadn't done something like that before. Feliciano had noticed this behaviour and tilted his head but said nothing until they were inside Antonio's house. Then he sat down in front of his brother.

"Fratello? What was going on?"

Lovino met Feliciano's eyes and gave a faint smile. "Nothing, Feli. Just my eyes playing tricks on me, 's all. Probably spent too much time in the sun today."

Feliciano nodded that he understood and cuddled up against his brother's side.

Antonio and Ludwig worked together on getting something put together for dinner. It was sometime while they were still working that they heard the sound of a guitar being played coming from the living room.

Ludwig peaked out to see Lovino playing something while Feliciano sung softly in Italian. "_Sono tutti fuori di fede, questo è come mi sento. Ho freddo e mi vergogno, distesa nuda sul pavimento. Illusione mai cambiato in qualcosa di reale. Io sono sveglia e posso vedere il bel cielo a pezzi. Sei un po 'in ritardo, sto già combattuto."_

He tilted his head. He'd never heard Feliciano sing before. He had the feeling he knew the song though. He shook his head and went back to work, not interupting the brothers.

Lovino's voice drifted through the doorway soon, in english.

"_Nothing's right, I'm torn. I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel, I'm cold and I am shamed..."_

Antonio winced verbally, but said nothing.

As soon as everyone started eating dinner, Ludwig brought it up. "So..that song..."he said softly. "Torn, right?"

Lovino nodded, not looking up from his plate.

Ludwig frowned slightly. "Why were you two singing it?"

Lovino shrugged, looking up. "Just for something to do. Our mom used to sing it all the time..."he said softly. "It kinda stuck."

With that, he fell silent again.

That silence lasted throughout dinner. As soon as that was over, Feliciano started jabbering.

Nobody bothered to interupt him other than to answer a question he asked.

Finally, things settled down when Ludwig decided that the group should have a movie night.

Lovino was asleep before the second movie was half over.

**So...yeah...here.**


	134. Chapter 134

**AN: Guys...my heart just broke...did you guys know that Cory Monteith is dead? Just found yesterday at like noon in his hotel room, sudden death. They don't know the cause..I'm a huge Glee fan, and Cory's character helped me a lot. Please..pray for his friends and family and castmates and stuff. They'll need all the prayers and support they can get. May he rest in peace...**

**Sorry..this one is going to be short. But..I'm still in way too much shock... Also..happy birthday to France.**

**To those who reviewed: **

**ItalyAllday: You shall see. As for the question of the mafia...hm...like I said, you'll see. And as for the party things..I can't reveal that yet. I've got something prepared for that. **

**HeroinOfDarkness: Perhaps. I shall do my research.**

**Spamano4ever: You shall see.**

**ThatRandomReview: True. And as far as my cousin knows, he said it's pronounced like sc-oh-nes. But that might depend on where you are in England. Dani and Luke are Londoners...**

**Enjoy. **

Sometime around four, Lovino woke up to find his brother sitting up and frowning at the clock. When he noticed Lovino awake, he turned over and looked at his brother, who gave him a tired smile.

Feliciano spoke in a soft whisper, careful not to wake anyone else up. "Fratello? What did you see in the woods on the way home?"

Lovino swallowed, but shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Feli."

"Was it one of the mafia guys?"Feliciano asked.

Lovino didn't answer for a while. "Just go back to sleep."he said after a long while in silence, turning over and burying his head against Antonio's chest.

Feliciano pouted, but sighed, cuddling up closer to Ludwig before going back to sleep.

The following morning was hectic. No one could really focus on one thing for too long. It just wasn't possible.

The group was a bit more hyped when they got to school, but nobody commented on it.

Feliciano smiled softly, pulling on his brother's sleeve and making Lovino look at him. He pointed to a couple not far off from where the group was sitting.

Lovino followed this to see Heracles and Kiku. He grinned and cupped his hands around his mouth, calling out. "Hey, bastards!"

The two looked over at Lovino's voice and the Italian motioned them over.

As soon as the two had taken seats with the group, Lovino grinned. "So you two got together, did you?"he asked.

Heracles nodded once. "Yesterday."

This made the group smile. It wasn't often they got to see stuff like this happen at the school. Most people were too scared to be open like that.

**Here. **


	135. Chapter 135

**AN: Right, so I'm back around, and a bit more normal than I was the last time. Closure is a wonderful thing. I spent time doing some grieving with others on twitter and stuff, so I'm good now. Also, baby sitting. Perfect, perfect distraction. A five year old and Aidrian...more about that at the bottom, as this will require some explaining... So, back to normal.**

**The cosplay didn't happen. Russia was sick, Canada didn't have a way up. Iceland kind of got caught up with the church stuff and couldn't come. Denmark made it, though. My cousins' group made it up though. They showed up after the others left and we did a cosplay then. **

**To those who reviewed:**

**Spamano4ever: I'm alright with it. It depends on how they're portrayed, really. And I've never written it before, so...**

**ThatRandomReview: Yeah, it's kind of odd, looking at the differences like that. Never liked it.**

**ItalyAllday: Yep. You'll have to wait. It's alright. And...Beatiful World? I need to watch that. I've yet to see it.**

**HeroinOfDarkness; Yep.**

**ChocoDonut (Guest): Sorry for the shortness! It is not. I'm always wearing a freaking jacket, even in the middle of summer. But..it might be low blood pressure or something making you be so cold. You might want to check that...oh, ick, I sounded like a grown up...forget I said that...**

**Enjoy.**

The group's day was rather slow. As soon as they got back to Antonio's, they all collapsed in the living room.

After a while, Lovino got bored of the lacking conversation, and looked over at Feliciano. "So...name a movie."he said softly. "We have to have something to do."

Feliciano tilted his head before he shot up and disappeared, coming back with a blank case and handing it to Lovino.

Antonio frowned slightly, but Lovino opened it and grinned up at his brother. "Fine by me."he commented.

Antonio glanced at the name of the movie and smiled softly.

Once the movie got started, things settled into a normal routine for the group.

Feliciano ended up falling asleep halfway through it and Lovino rolled his eyes, draping a blanket over him before getting up and setting about fixing dinner for the group. Antonio got up and went to help.

"It's sweet of you to do stuff like that for him, you know.."Antonio remarked softly from beside Lovino a few minutes later.

Lovino glanced over at him and smiled faintly. "I'll always do stuff like that for him."he replied. "He deserves to be able to enjoy being a kid for a bit longer. I don't want him to grow up anymore. Life's too cruel, it'll tear him to shreds."

Antonio nodded in agreement. "Have you thought about what's going to happen later on, after high school? You can't shield Feli forever, you know."  
"I can try."

But they both knew that Lovino would fail at it. Neither of them had to say it.

Dinner was an awkward affair that night. It was too quiet and tense of an atmosphere. Nobody wanted to speak because of how tense Lovino was, scared he would snap.

That night's rest was hard too. Lovino got no sleep whatsoever, but he kept still and quiet to let the others sleep. Still, he was getting kind of tired of all the restless nights. Most of them recently were spent thinking about the future, what was to come. He'd come so close to death recently that he knew he needed to slow down and stop worrying, focus on staying alive and stuff, but he couldn't help but worry constantly over his brother.

He knew it was driving the others mad. But what could he do? Feliciano was his responsibilty now. And with that thought, he allowed himself to drift off only to be woken a couple of hours later for school.

**Sorry it's so short..and rushed. But I need some sleep. I'm running on fumes right now. And my fratello's sick, so I'm up helping take care of him. **

**So..explanation. Peter Pan. We did movies to keep Aidrian and the kid occupied. Peter Pan is a favorite of mine. I honestly hate the idea of growing up, but I'll do it for my brother. That's it. **

**Anyways..yeah, here.**


	136. Chapter 136

**AN: Damn, it's been over a month already since my last update on this? Oops...sorry, guys. I know, you all hate me for the long wait. I just had no inspiration for the characters with it being summer, and now I'm back in school and back around the other dubs that we still have. And I learned something today! Our Prussia rides my bus! Him and his sister! I'm in chorus with his sister. She's become our Denmark, since the one at my church is homeschooled and we do so many cosplay things **_**at **_**school. Then Norway's boyfriend, Brandon, got dubbed as Estonia. We finally have one of the Baltics! It's awesome! Also, my brother, who is the group's Greece by his own choice, is a Freshman this year, and is in JROTC. No offense to any other RO kids, but it's kinda nice to have my brother being an army brat, because that means that I don't have to keep an eye on him. Dear God, I had dreaded that so much.**

**But, America, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Romano, Spain, and Russia have graduated. It's kinda sad. I miss them! And then the others just broke apart and everything after that. So..we have to start gathering again and get back to normal. **

**Also, guys, just to get you guys caught up and stuff, just so you know what's been going on outside of this. I have relapsed again, I'm all right now, though. I went camping this past labor day weekend with the family and got the living shit beat out of me, so I'm sore as fuck. I know I'll seem a bit off for a while. It's just all crazy right now. I've been considering going back to therapy or some sort, but I dunno. Any opinions..or alternative ideas? That WON'T get me put in foster care. Dani and Luke already told me they'd be taking me in if things kept up like they've been going..but I just need a guiding bit of advice. I don't know who else to talk to about this stuff. *EDIT* Luke and Dani have taken me in, as of last week. It's been a nice change.**

**To Those Who Reviewed: **

**ThatRandomReview: Just a bit.**

**ItalyAllday: Thanks! I'll have to check it out soon!**

**Spamano4ever: Indeed...**

**Guest: Yeah, it's understandable. Just find a focus for yourself, and it'll get easier, I promise. And I'm always here if you need someone to talk to! And thanks!**

**ChocoDonut: Not really. I just try to be. And yes, it's completely normal.**

**Enjoy!**

Antonio was beyond worried. Lovino, who'd become much less snappish towards everyone, had slipped right back into snapping at everyone that morning. Gilbert had gotten snapped at as soon as they headed out to school and had given the Italian a searching look, but remained silent.

Feliciano was the first to speak up on the topic once they were all seated at lunch. "Fratello?"

Lovino looked up at Feliciano curiously, eyes glowing with a dark fire that told him to tread carefully.

Feliciano frowned. "Why are you being snappish again?"

Lovino shook his head. "I just didn't sleep well, 's all."  
"You haven't slept well in a while."Antonio pointed out. "What's going on?"

Lovino shrugged. "Nothing."  
"Are you letting your thoughts get out of hand again, mon ami?"Francis asked.

Lovino rolled his eyes. "Of course not!"he snapped.  
Matthew sighed. "Okay, this isn't working. Lovino, what the hell is wrong?"

Lovino glared at Matthew for a moment before he huffed and looked away.

Raivis shared a look with Toris before he spoke. "Is your past still bothering you, Lovi?"

Lovino looked up and met Raivis's eyes before he sighed and looked back down. But what the two had seen in the Italian's eyes told them that, yes, the past was still bothering Lovino. And it was getting worse.

Antonio noticed as well because he spoke. "Lovi..can I speak with you in private?"  
Lovino's flinch worried the others, including Antonio, who stood.

Lovino got up as well and allowed Antonio to lead him off to the side of the cafeteria.

Toris sighed. "Poor guy. He had it the worst, and he's still not willing to let someone help him for a change."he grumbled.

Feliciano frowned. "'Toni will talk him into letting someone help. Eventually."

"I hope you're right, Feli."Gilbert muttered.

Antonio was careful to keep his voice soft as he spoke. "Lovi, listen to me, angel.."

"Don't call me angel,"

Antonio ignored it and continued. "If you're still having nightmares and stuff, you need to let someone know. Because..we're all worried about you..and I've seen people like you before..who keep themselves together just long enough to get away from everyone and then they just fall to pieces, to the point they can't be repaired..and I don't want that to happen to you. I love you too much to watch something like that happen to you."

Lovino met his gaze for the barest moment before he sighed. "No..it's not really the past..it's just..I got to thinking last night about what's going to happen in the coming years because it's already all I can do to keep Feli and me alive without being dependant. And I guess I got stressed out about it."

Antonio nodded in understanding. "And before last night?"  
"Nightmares,"Lovino admitted. "But not about the past. About the future. What if I lose Feli? Because once Feli and me are eighteen, then we're really on our own and I've seen this happen to people before..they try caring for their siblings after something happening with their family and I just don't want to lose my fratellino."

Antonio gave a soft, understanding smile. "You won't."he promised, pressing a soft kiss to Lovino's cheek.

By the end of the week, Lovino was alright again. Friday evening on their way home from school, it started raining on them. Lovino tensed up and froze for a moment before laughing softly and continuing his conversation with Antonio.

The Spaniard grinned at his boyfriend. It was nice to hear him laughing again. The two slowed enough for the others to get far enough ahead that they had their privacy.

Lovino smiled softly. "So.."he said softly.

Antonio pulled him to a stop, causing the Italian to give him a confused look. He only gave a smile in response and leaned down to steal a kiss.

Lovino met his gaze once he pulled back and snorted. "You are so cheezy sometimes. A kiss in the rain."he teased.

"Oh, you love it,"Antonio countered with a smile.

"Of course I do."

By the time the two got back into the house, they were soaked to the bone and shivering, but content and smiling anyways.

**Again. Been a long while since an update. Here's the new chapter, about three weeks into the new school year. I'm back around my Hetalia friends, so we'll probably get a bit quicker with updates here eventually. Also..going back to actually w**_**atching**_** Hetalia..and catching up with Doctor Who..and finishing Merlin..and waiting for the new seasons of Sherlock, Glee, Supernatural and..eventually, Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary special. So yeah. That's that.**


End file.
